PowerShell / PowerShell/PowerShell
Advance Function's Parameter's Get-Help is inconsistent if comment-based help is used (missing Alias, Default Value, Parameter Set, etc.)
Open
Nobody has claimed this yet.
KeepOpen
Up-for-Grabs
WG-Interactive-HelpSystem
WG-Reviewed
- Dominant language
- C#
- Stars
- 55.5k
- Forks
- 8.5k
- Avg merge
- 1d 2h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 88
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
Enter in the following code
function Test-GreetingA {
[CmdletBinding()]
param (
[Parameter(
Position = 0,
Mandatory,
ValueFromPipeline
)]
[Alias(
'Subject'
)]
[string]
$Person
)
begin {
}
process {
Write-Output "Hello $Person"
}
end {
}
}
<#
.SYNOPSIS
Test a simple greeting
.DESCRIPTION
A simple greeting that requires a person's name
.PARAMETER Person
The person you want to greet
.EXAMPLE
Test-Greeting -Person 'John Smith'
#>
function Test-GreetingB {
[CmdletBinding()]
param (
[Parameter(
Position = 0,
Mandatory,
ValueFromPipeline
)]
[Alias(
'Subject'
)]
[string]
$Person
)
begin {
}
process {
Write-Output "Hello $Person"
}
end {
}
}
Now run the following Get-Help commands
Get-Help Test-GreetingA -Parameter Person
Get-Help Test-GreetingB -Parameter Person
Expected behavior
-Person <string>
Required? true
Position? 0
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? true (ByValue)
Parameter set name (All)
Aliases Subject
Dynamic? false
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Person <String>
The person you want to greet
Required? true
Position? 0
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? true (ByValue)
Parameter set name (All)
Aliases Subject
Dynamic? false
Accept wildcard characters? false
Actual behavior
-Person <string>
Required? true
Position? 0
Accept pipeline input? true (ByValue)
Parameter set name (All)
Aliases Subject
Dynamic? false
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Person <String>
The person you want to greet
Required? true
Position? 1
Default value
Accept pipeline input? true (ByValue)
Aliases
Accept wildcard characters? false
Error details
Incorrect output includes (disparity between Get-Help's output for Test-GreetingA vs. Test-GreetingB):
- 'Default value' is missing (A)
- 'Position' is incremented (B)
- 'Parameter set name' is missing (B)
- 'Dynamic' is missing (B)
- 'Default value' right hand value is not showing (B)
- 'Aliases' right hand value is not showing (B)
Environment data
Name Value
---- -----
PSVersion 7.5.1
PSEdition Core
GitCommitId 7.5.1
OS Microsoft Windows 10.0.22631
Platform Win32NT
PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.3
SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion 3.0
Visuals
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
Reproduce the discrepancy with the two Test-GreetingA and Test-GreetingB functions, then compare the Get-Help output for their Person parameters. Done means comment-based help preserves the expected Default value, Position, Parameter set name, Aliases, Dynamic, and related fields consistently with syntax-based help.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- powershell
- Domain
- cli
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100