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New-IseSnippet

  • Reference
Module:
ISE

Creates a Windows PowerShell ISE code snippet.

Syntax

New-IseSnippet
   [-Title] <String>
   [-Description] <String>
   [-Text] <String>
   [-Author <String>]
   [-CaretOffset <Int32>]
   [-Force]
   [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The New-ISESnippet cmdlet creates a reusable text "snippet" for Windows PowerShell ISE. You can use snippets to add text to the Script pane or Command pane in Windows PowerShell ISE. This cmdlet is available only in Windows PowerShell ISE.

Beginning in Windows PowerShell 3.0, Windows PowerShell ISE includes a collection of built-in snippets. The New-ISESnippet cmdlet lets you create your own snippets to add to the built-in collection. You can view, change, add, delete, and share snippet files and include them in Windows PowerShell modules. To see snippets in Windows PowerShell ISE, from the Edit menu, select Start Snippets or press CTRL+J.

The New-ISESnippet cmdlet creates a <Title>.Snippets.ps1xml file in the $HOME\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Snippets directory with the title that you specify. To include a snippet file in a module that you are authoring, add the snippet file to a Snippets subdirectory of your module directory.

You cannot use user-created snippets in a session in which the execution policy is Restricted or AllSigned.

This cmdlet was introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.

Examples

Example 1: Create a Comment-Based help snippet

New-IseSnippet -Title Comment-BasedHelp -Description "A template for comment-based help." -Text "<#
    .SYNOPSIS

    .DESCRIPTION
    .PARAMETER  <Parameter-Name>
    .INPUTS
    .OUTPUTS
    .EXAMPLE
    .LINK
#>"

This command creates a Comment-BasedHelp snippet for Windows PowerShell ISE. It creates a file named Comment-BasedHelp.snippets.ps1xml in the user's Snippets directory $HOME\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Snippets.

Example 2: Create a mandatory snippet

$M = @'
Param
(
  [parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
  [String[]]
  $<ParameterName>
)
'@

New-ISESnippet -Text $M -Title Mandatory -Description "Adds a mandatory function parameter." -Author "Patti Fuller, Fabrikam Corp." -Force

This example creates a snippet named Mandatory for Windows PowerShell ISE. The first command saves the snippet text in the $M variable. The second command uses the New-ISESnippet cmdlet to create the snippet. The command uses the Force parameter to overwrite a previous snippet with the same name.

Example 3: Copy a mandatory snippet from a folder to a destination folder

Copy-Item "$HOME\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Snippets\Mandatory.Snippets.ps1xml" -Destination "\\Server\Share"

This command uses the Copy-Item cmdlet to copy the Mandatory snippet from the folder where New-ISESnippet places it to the Server\Share file share.

Parameters

-Author

Specifies the author of the snippet. The author field appears in the snippet file, but it does not appear when you click the snippet name in Windows PowerShell ISE.

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

-CaretOffset

Specifies the character of the snippet text that this cmdlet places the cursor on. Enter an integer that represents the cursor position, with "1" representing the first character of text. The default value, 0 (zero), places the cursor immediately before the first character of text. This parameter does not indent the snippet text.

Type:Int32
Position:Named
Default value:0
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Description

Specifies a description of the snippet. The description value appears when you click the snippet name in Windows PowerShell ISE. This parameter is required.

Type:String
Position:2
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Force

Indicates that this cmdlet overwrites snippet files with the same name in the same location. By default, New-ISESnippet does not overwrite files.

Type:SwitchParameter
Position:Named
Default value:False
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Text

Specifies the text value that is added when you select the snippet. The snippet text appears when you click the snippet name in Windows PowerShell ISE. This parameter is required.

Type:String
Position:3
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Title

Specifies a title or name for the snippet. The title also names the snippet file. This parameter is required.

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

Inputs

None

You can't pipe objects to this cmdlet.

Outputs

None

This cmdlet returns no output.

Notes

New-IseSnippet stores new user-created snippets in unsigned .ps1xml files. As such, Windows PowerShell cannot add them to a session in which the execution policy is AllSigned or Restricted. In a Restricted or AllSigned session, you can create, get, and import unsigned user-created snippets, but you cannot use them in the session.

If you use the New-IseSnippet cmdlet in a Restricted or AllSigned session, the snippet is created, but an error message appears when Windows PowerShell tries to add the newly created snippet to the session. To use the new snippet (and other unsigned user-created snippets), change the execution policy, and then restart Windows PowerShell ISE.

For more information about Windows PowerShell execution policies, see about_Execution_Policies.

  • To change a snippet, edit the snippet file. You can edit snippet files in the Script pane of Windows PowerShell ISE.
  • To delete a snippet that you added, delete the snippet file.
  • You cannot delete a built-in snippet, but you can hide all built-in snippets by using the "$psise.Options.ShowDefaultSnippets=$false" command.
  • You can create a snippet that has the same name as a built-in snippet. Both snippets appear in the snippet menu in Windows PowerShell ISE.