Format-Wide

Module:: Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility

Formats objects as a wide table that displays only one property of each object.

Syntax

Format-Wide
      [[-Property] <Object>]
      [-AutoSize]
      [-Column <Int32>]
      [-GroupBy <Object>]
      [-View <String>]
      [-ShowError]
      [-DisplayError]
      [-Force]
      [-Expand <String>]
      [-InputObject <PSObject>]
      [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Format-Wide cmdlet formats objects as a wide table that displays only one property of each object. You can use the Property parameter to determine which property is displayed.

Examples

Example 1: Format names of files in the current directory

PS C:\> Get-ChildItem | Format-Wide -Column 3

This command displays the names of files in the current directory in three columns across the screen. The Get-ChildItem cmdlet gets objects representing each file in the directory. The pipeline operator (|) passes the file objects through the pipeline to Format-Wide , which formats them for output. The Column parameter specifies the number of columns.

Example 2: Format names of registry keys

PS C:\> Get-ChildItem HKCU:\software\microsoft | Format-Wide -Property pschildname -AutoSize

This command displays the names of registry keys in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft key. The Get-ChildItem cmdlet gets objects representing the keys. The path is specified as HKCU:, one of the drives exposed by the Windows PowerShell Registry provider, followed by the key path. The pipeline operator (|) passes the registry key objects through the pipeline to Format-Wide , which formats them for output. The Property parameter specifies the name of the property, and the AutoSize parameter adjusts the columns for readability.

Optional Parameters

-AutoSize

Adjusts the column size and number of columns based on the width of the data. By default, the column size and number are determined by the view. You cannot use the AutoSize and Column parameters in the same command.

Type:	SwitchParameter
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Column

Specifies the number of columns in the display. You cannot use the AutoSize and Column parameters in the same command.

Type:	Int32
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-DisplayError

Displays errors at the command line. This parameter is rarely used, but can be used as a debugging aid when you are formatting expressions in a Format-Wide command, and the expressions do not appear to be working. The following shows an example of the results of adding the DisplayError parameter with an expression.

PS > Get-Date | Format-Wide DayOfWeek,{ $ / $null } -ShowError DayOfWeek $ / $null

Wednesday #ERR

Type:	SwitchParameter
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Expand

Formats the collection object, as well as the objects in the collection. This parameter is designed to format objects that support the ICollection (System.Collections) interface. The default value is EnumOnly .

Valid values are:

EnumOnly: Displays the properties of the objects in the collection.
CoreOnly: Displays the properties of the collection object.
Both: Displays the properties of the collection object and the properties of objects in the collection.

Type:	String
Parameter Sets:	CoreOnly, EnumOnly, Both
Position:	Named
Default value:	EnumOnly
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Force

Indicates that this cmdlet overrides restrictions that prevent the command from succeeding, just so the changes do not compromise security. For example, Force will override the read-only attribute or create directories to complete a file path, but it will not attempt to change file permissions.

Type:	SwitchParameter
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-GroupBy

Formats the output in groups based on a shared property or value. Enter an expression or a property of the output.

The value of the GroupBy parameter can be a new calculated property. To create a calculated, property, use a hash table. The acceptable values for this parameter are:

Name (or Label) <string>
Expression <string> or <script block>
FormatString <string>

Type:	Object
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-InputObject

Specifies the objects to format. Enter a variable that contains the objects, or type a command or expression that gets the objects.

Type:	PSObject
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	True (ByValue)
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Property

Specifies the object properties that appear in the display and the order in which they appear. Wildcards are permitted.

If you omit this parameter, the properties that appear in the display depend on the object being displayed. The parameter name ( Property ) is optional. You cannot use the Property and View parameters in the same command.

The value of the Property parameter can be a new calculated property. To create a calculated property, use a hash table. Valid keys are:

Expression <string> or <script block>
FormatString <string>

Type:	Object
Position:	1
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	True

-ShowError

Sends errors through the pipeline. This parameter is rarely used, but can be used as a debugging aid when you are formatting expressions in a Format-Wide command, and the expressions do not appear to be working. The following shows an example of the results of adding the ShowError parameter with an expression.

PS > Get-Date | Format-Wide DayOfWeek,{ $ / $null } -ShowError DayOfWeek $ / $null

Wednesday

Failed to evaluate expression " $_ / $null ".

CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (10/30/2013 2:28:07 PM:PSObject) [], RuntimeException
FullyQualifiedErrorId : mshExpressionError

Type:	SwitchParameter
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-View

Specifies the name of an alternate table format or view. You cannot use the Property and View parameters in the same command.

Type:	String
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

Inputs

System.Management.Automation.PSObject

You can pipe any object to Format-Wide .

Outputs

Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format

Format-Wide returns format objects that represent the table.

Notes

You can also refer to Format-Wide by its built-in alias, fw . For more information, see about_Aliases .

The GroupBy parameter assumes that the objects are sorted. Before using Format-Custom to group the objects, use Sort-Object to sort them.

The View parameter lets you specify an alternate format for the table. You can use the views defined in the **.format.PS1XML files in the Windows PowerShell directory or you can create your own views in new PS1XML files and use the Update-FormatData cmdlet to include them in Windows PowerShell.

The alternate view for the View parameter must use table format; if it does not, the command fails. If the alternate view is a list, use Format-List . If the alternate view is neither a list nor a table, use Format-Custom.