Deleted

[vestal verge]

If you use a param on your script, then you can just .\Script.ps1 -DebugLog

[CmdletBinding()]
param(
    [switch]$DebugLog
)

if ($DebugLog) {
    Start-Transcript "D:\_Debug.log"
}

function Test-Reg {
    Write-Host "Adding test registry keys..."
    reg.exe add HKCU\test /f $nul
    reg.exe query HKCU\test $nul

    if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) {
        Write-Host "Done."
    }
    else {
        Write-Host "Failed."
    }

    Write-Host "Deleting test registry keys..."
    reg.exe delete HKCU\test /f $nul
    reg.exe query HKCU\test $nul

    if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) {
        Write-Host "Failed."
    }
    else {
        Write-Host "Done."
    }
}

Test-Reg

if ($DebugLog) {
    Stop-Transcript
}

You're referring to a log file, but you can use Write-Debug in a function and that works similar to Write-Host (it needs the CmdletBinding line). PowerShell offers several different output streams and you can redirect those however you'd like https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_output_streams?view=powershell-5.1

[sweet dune]

Having some trouble understanding what you want. Start-Transcript is the easy mode with logging. Everything else requires code changes. A Command like Tee-Object comes to mind. You can also look at help about_Redirection.

[tardy talon]

Just store the output to a variable and log it if desired. You don’t have to use the variable if you wish or you could pipe it into a logging function that optionally writes it to a file if some flag is set

Also keep in mind it’s $null (2 l’s) and not $nul in PowerShell

I would recommend using the registry provider instead of reg.exe. You won’t have to start a new executable and have a richer object to work with

[sweet dune]

yeahhh. you'll just have to change your code. yeah like jordan says above, I guess you could just pipe everything to | Out-DebugLog -Enable:$DebugLog. I would just selectively use Write-Information and -InformationVariable

you just have to rethink all of it. i didn't realize batch could parameterize the whole redirection section as a %var%

The %nul% would just be | Out-DebugLog -Enable:$DebugLog though

You can further shorten it with $PSDefaultParameterValues['Out-DebugLog:Enable'] = $true if block at the top. Then you only need the |Out-DebugLog

i'd urge the dropping of native binaries where possible and using write-verbose, write-debug, write-information though

[sweet dune]

i see. yeah vscode debugging is nice. get-psbreakpoint and set-psbreakpoint are nice for debugging. can do it remotely too.

psframework module has cool logging capabilities too.

i do get the flexibility and immediacy with a straight log file though.

glad you got something working. 🙂

[coral nebula]

Hi, just been reading this post and well I would do something more like:

function Write-Log {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory)]
        [string]$Message,

        [string]$Path = "$PSScriptRoot\script.log",

        [ValidateSet('INFO','WARN','ERROR')]
        [string]$Level = 'INFO'
    )

    # Ensure directory exists
    $dir = Split-Path $Path
    if (-not (Test-Path $dir)) {
        New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $dir -Force | Out-Null
    }

    $timestamp = (Get-Date).ToString('yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss')
    $entry = "[$timestamp] [$Level] $Message"

    Add-Content -Path $Path -Value $entry
}
Write-Log -Message "Starting script $(Get-Date)"
Write-Host "Determining if to add required registry item"
if (Test-Path HKCU:\test)
{
    Write-Log "The required registry key already exists no further action."  
}
else
{
    Write-Log "About to add the item test to HKCU"
    try
    {
        New-Item -Path "HKCU:\test" -Verbose -ErrorAction Stop
    }
    catch
    {
        Write-Host -ForegroundColor Yellow "There was a problem please check the log file $($PSScriptRoot)\script.log"
        Write-Log "The script failed to add HCKU the issue was: $($Error[0].exception.message)" -Level ERROR
    }

}
Write-Host "Script completed"

[sweet dune]

won't you have to rewrite everything or at least copy all code in the if into the else block at bottom? I don't know how much you need start-transcript if you are replacing the %nul% in batch with |Out-DebugLog

[sweet dune]

i was rec-ing this strat as well. it is a different design though. in batch, you can parameterize in a variable the entire redirection so i figured having |Out-DebugLog would be somewhat of a replacement.

[sweet dune]

well i would look at psframework. every time you call write-psfmessage it logs

but yeah it sounds like you have your vision. I didn't know you were wrapping the ps1 in more batch

but then you have two files...

check this. one file.
https://gist.github.com/Jaykul/4b4610142cc20bb55f1616cbcf8e9574

employer context ? or are you making like gaming scripts or worse 😉

so its public but you can't share here? 😉

it would have been alot easy for advice to see the full vision

oh...yeah...worse....

[coral nebula]

I did start my journey in Dos but that was a very long time ago. Wanted to try to covert what was being done to just use PowerShell cmdlets. The great thing about scripting I there is so many ways to achieve the result. So yeah just wanted to throw in my suggestion after reading this.

[sweet dune]

Yeah the write-log pattern can be common. I try to avoid it in favor of using the native write cmdlets. I have used psframework with good success. It will write to your log in another runspace async-like.

And once you start writing to a log you have to consider purging it or doing ground hogs day on it

[coral nebula]

Yeah not used PSframework myself yet. I something for me to investigate. After reading this morning it was for hacking and freezing trials I kind of wish I didn’t offer advice 😂 as I don’t encourage that behaviour

[sweet dune]

Unless it is a single run and then at that point you might as well use the native commands with redirection if someone wants them in a log.

Yeah the “write log” function is fair still. It lacks dependencies and can get the job done.