Start-process fails when psdebug is set to 2

PowerShell Help
1

Hi All,
I think I encountered some interesting issue in powershell (PSVersion 5.1.14393.206). Looks like a defect to me, but if not, please let me know what am I doing wrong.

When PSDebug is set to “-trace 2” each attempt of running start-process and assigning its value (System.Diagnostics.Process object) to a variable ends with a failure “Cannot convert value to type System.String.” I was digging for some time in the Internet but without success.

Here is the example stripped down to bare minumum:

PS C:\> Set-PSDebug -trace 2
PS C:\> $a = start-process -Wait -PassThru calc
DEBUG:    1+  >>>> $a = start-process -Wait -PassThru calc
DEBUG:     ! CALL function ''
DEBUG:   19+                                         if ( &  >>>> { Set-StrictMode -Version 1; $_.PSMessageDetails } ) {
DEBUG:     ! CALL function ''
DEBUG:   19+                                         if ( & {  >>>> Set-StrictMode -Version 1; $_.PSMessageDetails } ) {
DEBUG:   19+                                         if ( & { Set-StrictMode -Version 1;  >>>> $_.PSMessageDetails } ) {
DEBUG:    1+ &  >>>> { Set-StrictMode -Version 1; $this.Exception.InnerException.PSMessageDetails }
DEBUG:     ! CALL function ''
DEBUG:    1+ & {  >>>> Set-StrictMode -Version 1; $this.Exception.InnerException.PSMessageDetails }
DEBUG:    1+ & { Set-StrictMode -Version 1;  >>>> $this.Exception.InnerException.PSMessageDetails }
DEBUG:    1+ & { Set-StrictMode -Version 1; $this.Exception.InnerException.PSMessageDetails  >>>> }
DEBUG:   19+                                         if ( & { Set-StrictMode -Version 1; $_.PSMessageDetails  >>>> } ) {
DEBUG:   26+                                         $errorCategoryMsg = &  >>>> { Set-StrictMode -Version 1; $_.ErrorCategory_Message }
DEBUG:     ! CALL function ''
DEBUG:   26+                                         $errorCategoryMsg = & {  >>>> Set-StrictMode -Version 1; $_.ErrorCategory_Message }
DEBUG:   26+                                         $errorCategoryMsg = & { Set-StrictMode -Version 1;  >>>> $_.ErrorCategory_Message }
DEBUG:   26+                                         $errorCategoryMsg = & { Set-StrictMode -Version 1; $_.ErrorCategory_Message  >>>> }
DEBUG:   42+                                         $originInfo = &  >>>> { Set-StrictMode -Version 1; $_.OriginInfo }
DEBUG:     ! CALL function ''
DEBUG:   42+                                         $originInfo = & {  >>>> Set-StrictMode -Version 1; $_.OriginInfo }
DEBUG:   42+                                         $originInfo = & { Set-StrictMode -Version 1;  >>>> $_.OriginInfo }
DEBUG:   42+                                         $originInfo = & { Set-StrictMode -Version 1; $_.OriginInfo  >>>> }
Cannot convert value to type System.String.
At line:1 char:1
+ $a = start-process -Wait -PassThru calc
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastFromAnyTypeToString

When I get rid of “-wait” switch - it automagically works and we can see that in the example above it most probably tried to display line "SET $a = " and conversion of this object (supposed to be System.Diagnostics.Process) to string has failed due to whatever reason:

PS C:\> $a = start-process -PassThru calc
DEBUG:    1+  >>>> $a = start-process -PassThru calc
DEBUG:     ! CALL function ''
DEBUG:     ! SET $a = 'System.Diagnostics.Process (calc)'.

When I switch PSDebug to trace 1 it also helps, because it does not try to display value assigned to a variable:

PS C:\> Set-PSDebug -trace 1
PS C:\> $a = start-process -Wait -PassThru calc
DEBUG:    1+  >>>> $a = start-process -Wait -PassThru calc

The code was simplified to depict the issue. Original code executes other executable, instead of calculator. Also - I am not able to modify the code, because I’m trying to write autotests for already existing implementation. Otherwise I would just execute the program without “-wait” switch and then would wait for it to finish. Lastly - I would be really happy if I could keep “Set-PSDebug -trace 2”.

Did you have a chance to encounter such issue? Is there any hope for me? :wink:

---- edited

Here are other examples that I tried and finished with the same error:

PS C:\> [System.Diagnostics.Process] $a = start-process -Wait -PassThru calc
PS C:\> [System.Diagnostics.Process] $a = (start-process -Wait -PassThru calc)
PS C:\> $a = (start-process -Wait -PassThru calc)
2

Looks interesting. I used the Trace-Command with the TypeConversion source (traces the type conversion algorithm) to get more information, but it reports failing a null to bolean conversion

Trace-Command -PSHost -Name TypeConversion -Expression { $a = start-process -Wait -PassThru calc }

Would this be an acceptable workaround?

start-process -Wait -PassThru calc -OutVariable a | Out-Null
3

Thank you Martin, your solution is currently the best way to fix this issue… if I could modify the code. :wink: As I said I’m trying to automate the testing of existing implementation without touching it, if possible. I guess my only choice for now is to forget about PSDebug and submit enhancement to the code to fix that line using your workaround.