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Creating a custom input box

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This sample only applies to Windows platforms.

Script a graphical custom input box using Microsoft .NET Framework form-building features in Windows PowerShell 3.0 and later releases.

Create a custom, graphical input box

Copy and then paste the following into Windows PowerShell ISE, and then save it as a PowerShell script (.ps1) file.

Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Drawing

$form = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Form
$form.Text = 'Data Entry Form'
$form.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(300,200)
$form.StartPosition = 'CenterScreen'

$okButton = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Button
$okButton.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(75,120)
$okButton.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,23)
$okButton.Text = 'OK'
$okButton.DialogResult = [System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult]::OK
$form.AcceptButton = $okButton
$form.Controls.Add($okButton)

$cancelButton = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Button
$cancelButton.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(150,120)
$cancelButton.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,23)
$cancelButton.Text = 'Cancel'
$cancelButton.DialogResult = [System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult]::Cancel
$form.CancelButton = $cancelButton
$form.Controls.Add($cancelButton)

$label = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label
$label.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(10,20)
$label.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(280,20)
$label.Text = 'Please enter the information in the space below:'
$form.Controls.Add($label)

$textBox = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.TextBox
$textBox.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(10,40)
$textBox.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(260,20)
$form.Controls.Add($textBox)

$form.Topmost = $true

$form.Add_Shown({$textBox.Select()})
$result = $form.ShowDialog()

if ($result -eq [System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult]::OK)
{
    $x = $textBox.Text
    $x
}

The script begins by loading two .NET Framework classes: System.Drawing and System.Windows.Forms. You then start a new instance of the .NET Framework class System.Windows.Forms.Form. That provides a blank form or window to which you can start adding controls.

$form = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Form

After you create an instance of the Form class, assign values to three properties of this class.

  • Text. This becomes the title of the window.
  • Size. This is the size of the form, in pixels. The preceding script creates a form that's 300 pixels wide by 200 pixels tall.
  • StartingPosition. This optional property is set to CenterScreen in the preceding script. If you don't add this property, Windows selects a location when the form is opened. By setting the StartingPosition to CenterScreen, you're automatically displaying the form in the middle of the screen each time it loads.
$form.Text = 'Data Entry Form'
$form.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(300,200)
$form.StartPosition = 'CenterScreen'

Next, create an OK button for your form. Specify the size and behavior of the OK button. In this example, the button position is 120 pixels from the form's top edge, and 75 pixels from the left edge. The button height is 23 pixels, while the button length is 75 pixels. The script uses predefined Windows Forms types to determine the button behaviors.

$okButton = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Button
$okButton.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(75,120)
$okButton.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,23)
$okButton.Text = 'OK'
$okButton.DialogResult = [System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult]::OK
$form.AcceptButton = $OKButton
$form.Controls.Add($OKButton)

Similarly, you create a Cancel button. The Cancel button is 120 pixels from the top, but 150 pixels from the left edge of the window.

$cancelButton = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Button
$cancelButton.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(150,120)
$cancelButton.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,23)
$cancelButton.Text = 'Cancel'
$cancelButton.DialogResult = [System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult]::Cancel
$form.CancelButton = $cancelButton
$form.Controls.Add($cancelButton)

Next, provide label text on your window that describes the information you want users to provide.

$label = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label
$label.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(10,20)
$label.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(280,20)
$label.Text = 'Please enter the information in the space below:'
$form.Controls.Add($label)

Add the control (in this case, a text box) that lets users provide the information you've described in your label text. There are many other controls you can apply besides text boxes. For more controls, see System.Windows.Forms Namespace.

$textBox = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.TextBox
$textBox.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(10,40)
$textBox.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(260,20)
$form.Controls.Add($textBox)

Set the Topmost property to $true to force the window to open atop other open windows and dialog boxes.

$form.Topmost = $true

Next, add this line of code to activate the form, and set the focus to the text box that you created.

$form.Add_Shown({$textBox.Select()})

Add the following line of code to display the form in Windows.

$result = $form.ShowDialog()

Finally, the code inside the If block instructs Windows what to do with the form after users provide text in the text box, and then click the OK button or press the Enter key.

if ($result -eq [System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult]::OK) {
    $x = $textBox.Text
    $x
}

See also