# After first run code doesn't return same information take 2 **URL:** \ **Category:** PowerShell Help\ **Created:** [June 17, 2020, 2:38am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/after-first-run-code-doesnt-return-same-information-take-2/14544 "2020-06-17T02:38:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![araczek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e5b9ba/32.png) [@araczek](https://forums.powershell.org/u/araczek)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 2:38am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/after-first-run-code-doesnt-return-same-information-take-2/14544/1 "2020-06-17T02:38:06Z")
I have been testing a script that helps with various vCenter Server operations. Basically I created a menu with ‘switch’ and execute the code within the menu. In one menu option I list all the hosts in the vCenter server with get-vmhost. I get the proper formatting on the output as expected. On a second pass (staying in the script) the output seems to cut off the first couple of rows. I do not get a title row or the dashed underlines. In my larger script (of which the code below was pulled from) if I progress down the available options then go back to, say , the 1st option it is totally broke, like it never executes the get-vmhost. Restarting the script or ISE fixes the issue (only on first run). What is happening here? Been banging my head against the wall for a week on this and can’t find a reason. Any help in how I can troubleshoot this would be helpful. See below. In selection one I have a sleep -S 3 to be able to see the output in subsequent runs before the cls. I commented out my ‘get-decision’ function to take that out of the mix to see if that caused anything. What the heck is happening here? I’ve been at this problem for a week now.   ``` #temp variables for testing $user = uuuuuuu $pwvsan = pwpwpwpw $vserver = ip of vcenter #Connect to vCenter Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction ignore -confirm:$false > $null connect-viserver -server $vServer -user $user -password $pwvsan > $null function get-decision { $EntRet = Read-Host "Press ENTER to return to the menu" if ($EntRet.length -eq "") { show-menu } else { get-decision} } function show-menu { $menu=@" 1 List VM Hosts 2 Power on host VMs Q Quit Select a task by number or Q to quit "@ cls start-sleep -m 250 write-host Write-Host " ***VM Utility Menu***" -ForegroundColor Cyan write-host write-host "You have selected vCenter Server: " $vserver -ForegroundColor Green write-host "You have selected host: " $vhost -ForegroundColor Green write-host $sel = Read-Host $menu Switch ($sel) { "1" { write-host Write-Host "List Host VM's..." -ForegroundColor Green Write-Host "View vCenter Hosts and statistics on" $Vserver -ForegroundColor Green $VChostsStat = get-vmhost $VChostsStat start-sleep -s 3 #get-decision show-menu } "2" { write-host Write-Host "Power on host VMs..." -ForegroundColor Green #insert your code here } "Q" { Write-Host "Quitting!" -ForegroundColor Green } default { Write-Host "I don't understand what you want to do." -ForegroundColor Yellow } } } show-menu ``` ---
**Author:** ![Olaf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/olaf/32/992_2.png) [@Olaf](https://forums.powershell.org/u/Olaf)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 7:03am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/after-first-run-code-doesnt-return-same-information-take-2/14544/2 "2020-06-17T07:03:15Z")
If you want to show your menu more than once - meaning to come back to the menu when you already did a choice once - you will need a loop. I used to use something like this. It even avoids error input as it ignores everything else than the predefined input. ``` while ($answer -ne 2) { Clear-Host $List = new-Object System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription "&List VM Hosts", "List"; $Power = new-Object System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription "&Power on host VMs", "Power"; $Quit = new-Object System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription "&Quit", "Quit"; $choices = [System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription[]]($List, $Power, $Quit); $answer = $host.ui.PromptForChoice($caption, $message, $choices, 0) $answer Switch ($answer) { 1 { Write-Host "You choose 'Power on host VMs...'" -ForegroundColor Green Start-Sleep -Seconds 3 #insert your code here break } 2 { Write-Host "You choose to quit ... exit" -ForegroundColor Green Start-Sleep -Seconds 3 #insert your code here break } default { Write-Host "You choose the default option: 'List VM Hosts'" -ForegroundColor Yellow Start-Sleep -Seconds 3 #insert your code here break } } } ``` ---
**Author:** ![araczek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e5b9ba/32.png) [@araczek](https://forums.powershell.org/u/araczek)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 7:30am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/after-first-run-code-doesnt-return-same-information-take-2/14544/3 "2020-06-17T07:30:40Z")
OLaf- Thank you, I will investigate your code (not an expert here).   …AR ---
**Author:** ![araczek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e5b9ba/32.png) [@araczek](https://forums.powershell.org/u/araczek)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 9:36am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/after-first-run-code-doesnt-return-same-information-take-2/14544/4 "2020-06-17T09:36:56Z")
Olaf- Could you tell me what the new-object line components are? I understand the the & uses the next letter as the default. Also what do the last values in quotes do for me (“List”, “Power”, “Quit”, etc). If it works that’s an alternative. What I was working on was a format like this: ![]() ![]()\*\*\* VM Utility Menu \*\*\* You have selected vCenter Server : x.x.x.x You have selected host : x.x.x.x 1 View vCenter Hosts & Statistics 2 Shut down host vm’s 3 Power on host VM’s 4 Display VM guest statistics 5 Display VM snapshots 6 Display Datastore statistics 7 Change selected host to process 8 Backup Host and vSwitch configurations Q Quit Select a task by number or Q to quit:   ---
**Author:** ![Olaf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/olaf/32/992_2.png) [@Olaf](https://forums.powershell.org/u/Olaf)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 1:54pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/after-first-run-code-doesnt-return-same-information-take-2/14544/5 "2020-06-17T13:54:25Z")
I googled a little bit for you: [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.management.automation.host.choicedescription?view=powershellsdk-7.0.0](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.management.automation.host.choicedescription?view=powershellsdk-7.0.0) [https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40642351/powershell-let-user-choice-from-list-of-january-through-december](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40642351/powershell-let-user-choice-from-list-of-january-through-december) ---
**Author:** ![araczek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e5b9ba/32.png) [@araczek](https://forums.powershell.org/u/araczek)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 7:46am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/after-first-run-code-doesnt-return-same-information-take-2/14544/6 "2020-06-18T07:46:08Z")
Okay, I figured out a way to make this work like I wanted. Whenever using the powercli cmdlets in the script after the first run it seems powershell loses the formatting. So after I do a ‘get-vmxxxxx’ command I then pipe to ‘Select’ , choose my elements to display and then pipe to ‘format-table’ or ft. This fixed all my problem areas! Thank you for your help.   …ar ---
**Author:** ![dotnVo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@dotnVo](https://forums.powershell.org/u/dotnVo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2024, 8:30pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/after-first-run-code-doesnt-return-same-information-take-2/14544/7 "2024-05-16T20:30:05Z")
Closed on May 16, 2024, 8:30pm UTC