Hi PowerShell people!
For metaprogramming and to create ProxyCommands (proxy functions) I had the need to create a Windows PowerShell Parameter programmatically from scratch. I even don’t like to use Reflection to break into classes and steal and use forbidden stuff, that is subject to change.
Even the serialization trick with Microsoft.PowerShell.DeserializingTypeConverter is the same dirty way to do the same on a different route.
Here is my prototype of a solution. I am creating a Function with a Parameter as Text (function sourcecode). My first attempt was to do a “New-Item Function:\ -value {code}” into the function drive and then do a Get-Command to the new function to extract the Metadata. But this shows up, that the function was a dead sourcecode only horse. It was not got compiled. So I had to use Invoke-Expression to ‘compile’ the sourcecode of the function.
Am i doing right to construct the Parametersets?
Does every parameterset need even the other metadata (like Madatory=$True.Positio=3 …)?
See even discussion here: powershell - Cannot Generate ParameterSetMetadata While Programmatically Creating A Parameter Block - Stack Overflow
Function New-Parameter {
[CmdletBinding()]
param(
[Switch]$Mandatory,
[UInt32]$Position,
[Switch]$ValueFromPipeline,
[Switch]$ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName,
[Switch]$ValueFromRemainingArguments,
[String]$HelpMessage,
[Type]$Type=[Type]'System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter',
[Parameter(Mandatory=$True)]
[String]$Name,
[String]$DefaultValue,
[Switch]$DontShow,
[String[]]$ParameterSetName,
[String[]]$Aliases,
# if Metadata is present the result is an System.Management.Automation.ParameterMetadata object
# If Metadata is absent the sourcecode for the Parameter is returned
[Switch]$Metadata
)
$ParameterAttrib = [System.Collections.ArrayList]@()
# using GUID to create an unique function Name
$Guid = ([Guid]::NewGuid()).ToString()
# using a StringBuilder to glue the sourcecode
$stringBuilder = New-Object System.Text.StringBuilder
If($Metadata.IsPresent) {
# Open the Function{} block
[Void]$stringBuilder.Append("Function $Guid {`n")
# add the [CmdletBinding()] attribute
[Void]$stringBuilder.Append("[CmdletBinding()]`n")
# Open the Param() block
[Void]$stringBuilder.Append("param(`n")
}
# query if we have one or more ParameterSetName
$ParmameterSetNameCount = 0
If(-not [String]::IsNullOrEmpty($ParameterSetName)) {
$ParmameterSetNameCount = @($ParameterSetName).Count
}
# Open the [Parameter()] attribut
[Void]$stringBuilder.Append('[Parameter(')
If($Mandatory.IsPresent) {
[Void]$ParameterAttrib.Add('Mandatory=$True')
}
If($Position) {
[Void]$ParameterAttrib.Add("Position=$Position")
}
If($ParmameterSetNameCount -gt 0){
# in the first full blown [Parameter()] attribut allways insert the first ParametersetName
[Void]$ParameterAttrib.Add("ParameterSetName='$($ParameterSetName[0])'")
}
If($ValueFromPipeline.IsPresent) {
[Void]$ParameterAttrib.Add('ValueFromPipeline=$True')
}
If($ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName.IsPresent) {
[Void]$ParameterAttrib.Add('ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName=$True')
}
If($ValueFromRemainingArguments.IsPresent) {
[Void]$ParameterAttrib.Add('ValueFromRemainingArguments=$True')
}
If($DontShow.IsPresent) {
If($PSVersionTable.PSVersion.Major -lt 4) {
Write-Warning "The 'DontShow' attribute requires PowerShell 4.0 or above! `n Supressing the 'DontShow' attribute!"
} Else {
[Void]$ParameterAttrib.Add('DontShow')
}
}
If(-not [String]::IsNullOrEmpty($HelpMessage)) {
[Void]$ParameterAttrib.Add("HelpMessage='$HelpMessage'")
}
# generate comma separated list from array
[Void]$stringBuilder.Append("$($ParameterAttrib -Join ',')")
$ParameterAttrib.Clear()
# close the [Parameter()] attribut
[Void]$stringBuilder.Append(")]`n")
$ParmameterSetLoopCounter++
# If we have more then one ParametersetName
IF($ParmameterSetNameCount -gt 1) {
# add remaining parameterset names the parameter belongs to
for ($i = 1; $i -lt $ParmameterSetNameCount; $i++) {
[Void]$stringBuilder.Append("[Parameter(ParameterSetName='$($ParameterSetName[$i])')]`n")
}
}
# Create Alias Attribute from Aliases
If(-not [String]::IsNullOrEmpty($Aliases)) {
[Void]$stringBuilder.Append("[Alias('$($Aliases -join "','")')]`n")
}
# add Parameter Type
[Void]$stringBuilder.Append("[$($Type.Fullname)]")
# add the Parameter Name
[Void]$stringBuilder.Append("`$$Name")
If(-not [String]::IsNullOrEmpty($ParameterSetName)) {
[Void]$stringBuilder.Append("=$DefaultValue")
}
If($Metadata.IsPresent) {
# close the Param() block
[Void]$stringBuilder.Append("`n)`n")
# close the Function block
[Void]$stringBuilder.Append("}`n")
}
# return the result
If($Metadata.IsPresent) {
# if we have to return a ParameterMetadata Object we create a temporary function
# because you can instatiate a ParameterMetadata Object but most of the Properties are constrained to get only and not to set!
# Create and 'compile' the function into the function: drive
Invoke-Expression ($stringBuilder.ToString())
# from the temporary function we query the the ParameterMetadata and
# return theParameterMetadata Object
(Get-Command -Name $Guid -CommandType Function).Parameters.$Name
# remove the Function from Function: drive
$Null = Remove-Item Function:\$Guid -Force
} Else {
# return the sourcecode of the Parameter
Write-Output $stringBuilder.ToString()
}
}
#Example calls:
# without Parametersets
New-Parameter -Name 'Param1' -Mandatory -Position 3 -ValueFromPipeline -ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName -ValueFromRemainingArguments -HelpMessage "Give me hope Joana!" -Type 'System.String' -Aliases 'Ali1','Ali2','Ali3' -DontShow -DefaultValue 34
New-Parameter -Name 'Param1' -Mandatory -Position 3 -ValueFromPipeline -ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName -ValueFromRemainingArguments -HelpMessage "Give me hope Joana!" -Type 'System.String' -Aliases 'Ali1','Ali2','Ali3' -DontShow -DefaultValue 34 -Metadata
# with Parametersets
New-Parameter -Name 'Param1' -Mandatory -Position 3 -ValueFromPipeline -ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName -ValueFromRemainingArguments -HelpMessage "Give me hope Joana!" -Type 'System.String' -ParameterSetName 'Snover','Payette' -Aliases 'Ali1','Ali2','Ali3' -DontShow -DefaultValue 34
New-Parameter -Name 'Param1' -Mandatory -Position 3 -ValueFromPipeline -ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName -ValueFromRemainingArguments -HelpMessage "Give me hope Joana!" -Type 'System.String' -ParameterSetName 'Snover','Payette' -Aliases 'Ali1','Ali2','Ali3' -DontShow -DefaultValue 34 -Metadata
rant on:
I was very, very angry that we can instantiate a Type of System.Management.Automation.ParameterMetadata but we cannot initialize it. Microsoft destroys much joy of the class library by contraining the classes by use of private or internal or sealed… they use it to often, and without any thinkable reason. Even the Types System.Management.Automation.ParameterMetadata and System.Management.Automation.ParameterSetMetadata have identical Members, but no common parent Object. That is a very nuts library design!
rant off: