Format-Wide
Formats objects as a wide table that displays only one property of each object.
Syntax
Format-Wide
[[-Property] <Object>]
[-AutoSize]
[-Column <int>]
[-GroupBy <Object>]
[-View <string>]
[-ShowError]
[-DisplayError]
[-Force]
[-Expand <string>]
[-InputObject <psobject>]
[<CommonParameters>]Description
The Format-Wide cmdlet formats objects as a wide table that displays only one property of each
object. You can use the Property parameter to determine which property is displayed.
Examples
Example 1: Format names of files in the current directory
This command displays the names of files in the current directory in three columns across the screen.
Get-ChildItem | Format-Wide -Column 3The Get-ChildItem cmdlet gets objects representing each file in the directory. The pipeline
operator (|) passes the file objects through the pipeline to Format-Wide, which formats them for
output. The Column parameter specifies the number of columns.
Example 2: Format names of registry keys
This command displays the names of registry keys in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft key.
Get-ChildItem HKCU:\software\microsoft | Format-Wide -Property pschildname -AutoSizeThe Get-ChildItem cmdlet gets objects representing the keys. The path is specified as HKCU:, one
of the drives exposed by the PowerShell Registry provider, followed by the key path. The pipeline
operator (|) passes the registry key objects through the pipeline to Format-Wide, which formats
them for output. The Property parameter specifies the name of the property, and the AutoSize
parameter adjusts the columns for readability.
Example 3: Troubleshooting format errors
The following examples show of the results of adding the DisplayError or ShowError parameters with an expression.
PS /> Get-Date | Format-Wide { $_ / $null } -DisplayError
#ERR
PS /> Get-Date | Format-Wide { $_ / $null } -ShowError
Failed to evaluate expression " $_ / $null ".
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (12/21/2018 8:18:01 AM:PSObject) [], RuntimeException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PSPropertyExpressionErrorParameters
-AutoSize
Adjusts the column size and number of columns based on the width of the data. By default, the column size and number are determined by the view. You cannot use the AutoSize and Column parameters in the same command.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Column
Specifies the number of columns in the display. You cannot use the AutoSize and Column parameters in the same command.
| Type: | Int32 |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-DisplayError
Displays errors at the command line. This parameter is rarely used, but can be used as a debugging
aid when you are formatting expressions in a Format-Wide command, and the expressions do not
appear to be working.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Expand
Formats the collection object, as well as the objects in the collection. This parameter is designed
to format objects that support the System.Collections.ICollection interface. The default value
is EnumOnly.
Valid values are:
EnumOnly: Displays the properties of the objects in the collection.CoreOnly: Displays the properties of the collection object.Both: Displays the properties of the collection object and the properties of objects in the collection.
| Type: | String |
| Accepted values: | CoreOnly, EnumOnly, Both |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | EnumOnly |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Force
Indicates that this cmdlet overrides restrictions that prevent the command from succeeding, just so the changes do not compromise security. For example, Force will override the read-only attribute or create directories to complete a file path, but it will not attempt to change file permissions.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-GroupBy
Formats the output in groups based on a shared property or value. Enter an expression or a property of the output.
The value of the GroupBy parameter can be a new calculated property. The calculated property can be a script block or a hash table. Valid key-value pairs are:
Name(orLabel) -<string>Expression-<string>or<script block>FormatString-<string>
For more information, see about_Calculated_Properties.
| Type: | Object |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-InputObject
Specifies the objects to format. Enter a variable that contains the objects, or type a command or expression that gets the objects.
| Type: | PSObject |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | True |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Property
Specifies the object property that appears in the display. Wildcards are permitted.
If you omit this parameter, the properties that appear in the display depend on the object being displayed. The parameter name Property is optional. You cannot use the Property and View parameters in the same command.
The value of the Property parameter can be a new calculated property. The calculated property can be a script block or a hash table. Valid key-value pairs are:
Expression-<string>or<script block>FormatString-<string>
For more information, see about_Calculated_Properties.
| Type: | Object |
| Position: | 0 |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | True |
-ShowError
Sends errors through the pipeline. This parameter is rarely used, but can be used as a debugging
aid when you are formatting expressions in a Format-Wide command, and the expressions do not
appear to be working.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-View
Specifies the name of an alternate table format or view. You cannot use the Property and View parameters in the same command.
| Type: | String |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
Inputs
You can pipe any object to this cmdlet.
Outputs
Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format
This cmdlet returns format objects that represent the table.
Notes
PowerShell includes the following aliases for Format-Wide:
- All platforms:
fw
The GroupBy parameter assumes that the objects are sorted. Use Sort-Object before using
Format-Custom to group the objects.
The View parameter lets you specify an alternate format for the table. You can use the views
defined in the *.format.PS1XML files in the PowerShell directory or you can create your own views
in new PS1XML files and use the Update-FormatData cmdlet to include them in PowerShell.
The alternate view for the View parameter must use table format; if it does not, the command
fails. If the alternate view is a list, use Format-List. If the alternate view is neither a list
nor a table, use Format-Custom.
