Join-String
Combines objects from the pipeline into a single string.
Syntax
Join-String
[[-Property] <PSPropertyExpression>]
[[-Separator] <String>]
[-OutputPrefix <String>]
[-OutputSuffix <String>]
[-UseCulture]
[-InputObject <PSObject[]>]
[<CommonParameters>]Join-String
[[-Property] <PSPropertyExpression>]
[[-Separator] <String>]
[-OutputPrefix <String>]
[-OutputSuffix <String>]
[-SingleQuote]
[-UseCulture]
[-InputObject <PSObject[]>]
[<CommonParameters>]Join-String
[[-Property] <PSPropertyExpression>]
[[-Separator] <String>]
[-OutputPrefix <String>]
[-OutputSuffix <String>]
[-DoubleQuote]
[-UseCulture]
[-InputObject <PSObject[]>]
[<CommonParameters>]Join-String
[[-Property] <PSPropertyExpression>]
[[-Separator] <String>]
[-OutputPrefix <String>]
[-OutputSuffix <String>]
[-FormatString <String>]
[-UseCulture]
[-InputObject <PSObject[]>]
[<CommonParameters>]Description
The Join-String cmdlet joins, or combines, text from pipeline objects into a single string.
If no parameters are specified, the pipeline objects are converted to a string and joined with the
default separator $OFS.
Note
When you set $OFS its value is used to join arrays when they're converted to strings until the
variable is reset to $null. Because using $OFS can have unintended effects elsewhere in your
code, it's best to use the Separator parameter instead.
By specifying a property name, the property's value is converted to a string and joined into a string.
Instead of a property name, a script block can be used. The script block's result is converted to a string before it's joined to form the result. It can either combine the text of an object's property or the result of the object that was converted to a string.
This cmdlet was introduced in PowerShell 6.2.
Examples
Example 1: Join directory names
This example joins directory names, wraps the output in double-quotes, and separates the directory
names with a comma and space (, ). The output is a string object.
Get-ChildItem -Directory C:\ | Join-String -Property Name -DoubleQuote -Separator ', '
"PerfLogs", "Program Files", "Program Files (x86)", "Users", "Windows"Get-ChildItem uses the Directory parameter to get all the directory names for the C:\ drive.
The objects are sent down the pipeline to Join-String. The Property parameter specifies the
directory names. The DoubleQuote parameter wraps the directory names with double-quote marks.
The Separator parameter specifies to use a comma and space (, ) to separate the directory
names.
The Get-ChildItem objects are System.IO.DirectoryInfo and Join-String converts the objects
to System.String.
Example 2: Use a property substring to join directory names
This example uses a substring method to get the first four letters of directory names, wraps the
output in single-quotes, and separates the directory names with a semicolon (;).
Get-ChildItem -Directory C:\ | Join-String -Property {$_.Name.SubString(0,4)} -SingleQuote -Separator ';'
'Perf';'Prog';'Prog';'User';'Wind'Get-ChildItem uses the Directory parameter to get all the directory names for the C:\ drive.
The objects are sent down the pipeline to Join-String.
The Property parameter script block uses automatic variable ($_) to specify each object's
Name property substring. The substring gets the first four letters of each directory name. The
substring specifies the character start and end positions. The SingleQuote parameter wraps the
directory names with single-quote marks. The Separator parameter specifies to use a semicolon
(;) to separate the directory names.
For more information about automatic variables and substrings, see about_Automatic_Variables and Substring.
Example 3: Display join output on a separate line
This example joins service names with each service on a separate line and indented by a tab.
Get-Service -Name se* | Join-String -Property Name -Separator "`r`n`t" -OutputPrefix "Services:`n`t"
Services:
seclogon
SecurityHealthService
SEMgrSvc
SENS
Sense
SensorDataService
SensorService
SensrSvc
SessionEnvGet-Service uses the Name parameter with to specify services that begin with se*. The
asterisk (*) is a wildcard for any character.
The objects are sent down the pipeline to Join-String that uses the Property parameter to
specify the service names. The Separator parameter specifies three special characters that
represent a carriage return (`r), newline (`n), and tab (`t). The OutputPrefix
inserts a label Services: with a new line and tab before the first line of output.
For more information about special characters, see about_Special_Characters.
Example 4: Create a class definition from an object
This example generates a PowerShell class definition using an existing object as a template.
This code sample uses splatting to reduce the line length and improve readability. For more information, see about_Splatting.
$obj = [pscustomobject] @{Name = "Joe"; Age = 42}
$parms = @{
Property = "Name"
FormatString = ' ${0}'
OutputPrefix = "class {`n"
OutputSuffix = "`n}`n"
Separator = "`n"
}
$obj.PSObject.Properties | Join-String @parms
class {
$Name
$Age
}Parameters
-DoubleQuote
Wraps the string value of each pipeline object in double-quotes.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | False |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-FormatString
Specifies a format string that specifies how each pipeline object should be formatted before joining
them. Use the {0} placeholder to represent the current object. If you need to keep the curly
braces ({}) in the formatted string, you can escape them by doubling the curly braces ({{ and
}}).
For more information, see the String.Format method and Composite Formatting.
| Type: | String |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-InputObject
Specifies the text to be joined. Enter a variable that contains the text, or type a command or expression that gets the objects to join into strings.
| Type: | PSObject[] |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | True |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-OutputPrefix
Text that's inserted before the output string. The string can contain special characters such as
carriage return (`r), newline (`n), and tab (`t).
| Type: | String |
| Aliases: | op |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-OutputSuffix
Text that's appended to the output string. The string can contain special characters such as
carriage return (`r), newline (`n), and tab (`t).
| Type: | String |
| Aliases: | os |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Property
The name of a property, or a property expression, to be converted to text.
| Type: | PSPropertyExpression |
| Position: | 0 |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Separator
Text or characters such as a comma or semicolon that's inserted between the text for each pipeline object.
By default, the pipeline objects are joined without a separator. If the
Output Field Separator
preference variable ($OFS) is set, that value is used unless this parameter is specified.
Note
When you set $OFS its value is used to join arrays when they're converted to strings until the
variable is reset to $null. Because using $OFS can have unintended effects elsewhere in your
code, it's best to use the Separator parameter instead.
| Type: | String |
| Position: | 1 |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-SingleQuote
Wraps the string value of each pipeline object in single quotes.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | False |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-UseCulture
Uses the list separator for the current culture as the item delimiter. To find the list separator
for a culture, use the following command: (Get-Culture).TextInfo.ListSeparator.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | False |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
