PowerShell / PowerShell/PowerShell
The `PSDefaultValue` attribute's `Value` named parameter can cause `Get-Help` to fail if defined as anything other than a string
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Description
Prerequisites
- Write a descriptive title.
- Make sure you are able to repro it on the latest released version
- Search the existing issues.
- Refer to the FAQ.
- Refer to Differences between Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell.
Steps to reproduce
According to the PowerShell documentation, the Value named parameter which can be passed to PSDefaultValue() is defined as:
Type: object
This argument specifies a value that is intended to be the default value of a parameter. The value is used in an implementation-defined manner.
Windows PowerShell: The value is used as part of the description of the parameter for the help topic displayed by the Get-Helpcmdlet when the Help property is not specified.
Since it seems to be defined as an arbitrary object, I imagine that one could for instance set the default value as:
Value = [uri]'https://google.com'
However, given a script Get-Foo.ps1 defined as:
<#
.SYNOPSIS
Example help
#>
[CmdletBinding()]
[OutputType([void])]
param (
[PSDefaultValue(Value = [uri]'https://example.com']
[uri]
$Baz
)
process {
Write-Output $Baz
}
Running Get-Help Get-Foo.ps1 -Full causes the Cmdlet to emit an error.
Expected behavior
PS> Get-Help Get-Foo.ps1 -Full
NAME
get-foo.ps1
SYNOPSIS
Example help
SYNTAX
get-foo.ps1 [[-Baz] <Uri>] [<CommonParameters>]
DESCRIPTION
PARAMETERS
-Baz <Uri>
Required? false
Position? 1
Default value <Stringified version of the argument passed to the "Value" named parameter>
Accept pipeline input? false
Aliases
Accept wildcard characters? false
<CommonParameters>
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable. For more
information, see
about_CommonParameters
(https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113216).
INPUTS
OUTPUTS
System.Void
RELATED LINKS
Actual behavior
PS> Get-Help Get-Foo.ps1 -Full
Get-Help: Cannot find an overload for ".ctor" and the argument count: "1".
Error details
Message : Cannot find an overload for ".ctor" and the argument
count: "1".
Source : System.Management.Automation
HResult : -2146233087
StackTrace :
at
System.Management.Automation.Language.Compiler.GetAttribute(AttributeAst
attributeAst)
at System.Management.Automation.Language.Compiler.GetRuntimeDefinedParam
eter(ParameterAst parameterAst, Boolean& customParameterSet, Boolean&
usesCmdletBinding)
at System.Management.Automation.Language.Compiler.GetParameterMetaData(R
eadOnlyCollection`1 parameters, Boolean automaticPositions, Boolean&
usesCmdletBinding)
at
System.Management.Automation.CompiledScriptBlockData.InitializeMetadata()
at System.Management.Automation.CompiledScriptBlockData.get_CmdletBindin
gAttribute()
at System.Management.Automation.CommandMetadata..ctor(ScriptBlock
scriptblock, String commandName, ExecutionContext context)
at System.Management.Automation.ExternalScriptInfo.get_CommandMetadata()
at System.Management.Automation.HelpCommentsParser..ctor(CommandInfo
commandInfo, List`1 parameterDescriptions)
at System.Management.Automation.HelpCommentsParser.CreateFromComments(Ex
ecutionContext context, CommandInfo commandInfo, List`1 comments, List`1
parameterDescriptions, Boolean dontSearchOnRemoteComputer, String&
helpFile, String& helpUriFromDotLink)
at
System.Management.Automation.CommandHelpProvider.GetHelpInfo(CommandInfo
commandInfo, Boolean reportErrors, Boolean searchOnlyContent)
at
System.Management.Automation.CommandHelpProvider.SearchHelp(HelpRequest
helpRequest, Boolean searchOnlyContent)+MoveNext()
at System.Management.Automation.HelpSystem.SearchHelp(HelpRequest
helpRequest)+MoveNext()
at System.Management.Automation.HelpSystem.DoGetHelp(HelpRequest
helpRequest)+MoveNext()
at Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetHelpCommand.ProcessRecord()
at System.Management.Automation.CommandProcessor.ProcessRecord()
CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Get-Help], MethodException
FullyQualifiedErrorId :
MethodCountCouldNotFindBest,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetHelpCommand
InvocationInfo :
MyCommand : Get-Help
ScriptLineNumber : 1
OffsetInLine : 1
HistoryId : 2
Line : get-help get-foo.ps1 -Full
Statement : get-help get-foo.ps1 -Full
PositionMessage : At line:1 char:1
+ get-help get-foo.ps1 -Full
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
InvocationName : get-help
CommandOrigin : Internal
ScriptStackTrace : at <ScriptBlock>, <No file>: line 1
Environment data
Name Value
---- -----
PSVersion 7.6.0-preview.2
PSEdition Core
GitCommitId 7.6.0-preview.2
OS Microsoft Windows 10.0.26100
Platform Win32NT
PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.3
SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion 3.0
Visuals
No response
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by reproducing the Get-Help failure with the PSDefaultValue(Value = [uri]'https://example.com') script shown in the issue. Trace the metadata path through Compiler.GetAttribute and verify that Get-Help -Full succeeds for non-string Value arguments while displaying a stringified default value.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- csharp, powershell
- Domain
- cli
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 38/100