Write-Output

Sends the specified objects to the next command in the pipeline. If the command is the last command in the pipeline, the objects are displayed in the console.

Syntax

Write-Output [-InputObject] <PSObject[]> [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Write-Output cmdlet sends the specified object down the pipeline to the next command. If the command is the last command in the pipeline, the object is displayed in the console.

Write-Output sends objects down the primary pipeline, also known as the "output stream" or the "success pipeline." To send error objects down the error pipeline, use Write-Error.

This cmdlet is typically used in scripts to display strings and other objects on the console. However, because the default behavior is to display the objects at the end of a pipeline, it is generally not necessary to use the cmdlet. For example, "Get-Process | write-output" is equivalent to "Get-Process".

Parameters

-InputObject <PSObject[]>

Specifies the objects to send down the pipeline. Enter a variable that contains the objects, or type a command or expression that gets the objects.

Required?	true
Position?	1
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	true (ByValue)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

<CommonParameters>

This cmdlet supports the common parameters: -Verbose, -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable, -OutBuffer, and -OutVariable. For more information, see about_CommonParameters.

Inputs and Outputs

The input type is the type of the objects that you can pipe to the cmdlet. The return type is the type of the objects that the cmdlet returns.

Inputs

System.Management.Automation.PSObject

You can pipe objects to Write-Output.

Outputs

System.Management.Automation.PSObject

Write-Output returns the objects that are submitted as input.

Example 1

C:\PS>$p = get-process

c:\PS> write-output $p

c:\PS> $p

These commands get objects representing the processes running on the computer and display the objects on the console.

Example 2

C:\PS>write-output "test output" | get-member

This command pipes the "test output" string to the Get-Member cmdlet, which displays the members of the String class, demonstrating that the string was passed along the pipeline.