check installed packages, if there'isn't... install.

Question

check installed packages, if there'isn't... install.

Matteo Cannoletta 1

Hi, I would like to check if some packages are already installed, if they are not, i want to install them.
I tried a many things but the "winget list --id" return an object, and i'm not able to figure it out how to manage it.

[int]$isInstalled = -1
Function testPackage ($packageName){
    [string]$test = ""
    try {
        $test = winget list --id $packageName
    } catch {
        $test = ""
    }
    if ($test = "") {
        $isInstalled = 1
    }
    else {
        $isInstalled = 0
    }
    return $isInstalled
}


foreach ($utility in $toInstall) {          #$toInstall is a string array with all the id of the packages that i need
    if (testPackage($utility) -eq 1) {
        write-host "installing $utility..."
        winget install -e --id $utility        
    } 
    else {
        Write-Host "$utility already installed";
    }
}

can anybody help me?
thank you

Rich Matheisen 47,901 Reputation points

2022-02-08T20:32:09.743+00:00
This has nothing to do with your question, but I can see you're headed for trouble with the way you're coding function calls.

If you're calling a PowerShell function you do not surround the parameters with parentheses, nor do you separate parameters with commas as you do with other languages. Parentheses can be used to eliminate ambiguity. For example, on line 20, the parentheses could be used like this:

if ( (testPackage $utility) -eq 1) {

The reason to not use commas in parameter lists is that PowerShell will turn that list into an array where the array will be assumed to the only parameter. You didn't do that, but the presence of the parenthesized parameter looks to me as if you're headed in that direction -- perhaps from experience with other languages.
Matteo Cannoletta 1 Reputation point

2022-02-09T10:49:14.657+00:00

I didn't know that, thank you so much. I'm new be with this language. I use to code in other language, object oriented most of all, so I'm not very confident with pipelines and scripting methods. Is a really interesting world btw.
Rich Matheisen 47,901 Reputation points

2022-02-09T19:41:00.41+00:00

Download this free PDF: Windows-PowerShell-4

Read the 1st half and do the exercises. If you're familiar with programing it'll seem boring at the beginning but read even the boring parts (none of the book is difficult -- just ignore the self-promotion from the author about Sapien products :-) ). You'll find things that will help you immensely with your understanding of PowerShell, especially pipelining and parameters.

The 2nd half of the book covers using PowerShell for common tasks. Go through that after you read the 1st half of the book.
globdug 0 Reputation points

2024-02-23T14:37:47.7066667+00:00
Hello, have you found a solution to this question? At the moment, I'm using a nasty workaround... 😅

$found = winget list --id $AppId if ($found -like "No installed package*") { Write-Host "App is not installed..." }

It seems to work, until Microsoft doesn't change the sentence for no package found... 🙄

1 answer

Your answer

Rich Matheisen 47,901 Reputation points

2022-02-08T20:32:09.743+00:00

This has nothing to do with your question, but I can see you're headed for trouble with the way you're coding function calls.

If you're calling a PowerShell function you do not surround the parameters with parentheses, nor do you separate parameters with commas as you do with other languages. Parentheses can be used to eliminate ambiguity. For example, on line 20, the parentheses could be used like this:

if ( (testPackage $utility) -eq 1) {

The reason to not use commas in parameter lists is that PowerShell will turn that list into an array where the array will be assumed to the only parameter. You didn't do that, but the presence of the parenthesized parameter looks to me as if you're headed in that direction -- perhaps from experience with other languages.
Matteo Cannoletta 1 Reputation point

2022-02-09T10:49:14.657+00:00

I didn't know that, thank you so much. I'm new be with this language. I use to code in other language, object oriented most of all, so I'm not very confident with pipelines and scripting methods. Is a really interesting world btw.
Rich Matheisen 47,901 Reputation points

2022-02-09T19:41:00.41+00:00

Download this free PDF: Windows-PowerShell-4

Read the 1st half and do the exercises. If you're familiar with programing it'll seem boring at the beginning but read even the boring parts (none of the book is difficult -- just ignore the self-promotion from the author about Sapien products :-) ). You'll find things that will help you immensely with your understanding of PowerShell, especially pipelining and parameters.

The 2nd half of the book covers using PowerShell for common tasks. Go through that after you read the 1st half of the book.
globdug 0 Reputation points

2024-02-23T14:37:47.7066667+00:00

Hello, have you found a solution to this question? At the moment, I'm using a nasty workaround... 😅

$found = winget list --id $AppId if ($found -like "No installed package*") { Write-Host "App is not installed..." }

It seems to work, until Microsoft doesn't change the sentence for no package found... 🙄

Answer 1

MotoX80 36,401

Instead of using winget, can you use Get-Package and Install-Package.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/packagemanagement/get-package?view=powershell-5.1

PS C:\Temp> Get-Package | Where-Object -Property Name -like 'google*' | Format-Table -Property Name, Version  
  
Name          Version       
----          -------       
Google Drive  55.0.3.0      
Google Chrome 98.0.4758.82

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check installed packages, if there'isn't... install.

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