Casting problems in Visual Studio Code Windows Powershell 5.1 terminal

Prerequisites

• I have written a descriptive issue title.
• I have searched all open and closed issues to ensure it has not already been reported.
• I have read the troubleshooting guide.
• I am sure this issue is with the extension itself and does not reproduce in a standalone PowerShell instance.
• I have verified that I am using the latest version of Visual Studio Code and the PowerShell extension.
• If this is a security issue, I have read the security issue reporting guidance.

Summary

I have had these casting problems several times. Now I am taking the time to document them. They were always error messages like "Type A cannot be converted to type A". But only in the Windows Powershell 5.1 terminal.

Also, the example script below in "Steps to Reproduce" does not work in the Windows Powershell 5.1 terminal only.

Expected:

info: int[0]
      Hello from Windows Powershell

But I get this:

PS C:\GithubIssue> . 'C:\GithubIssue\Github VS Code.ps1'
Cannot find an overload for "new" and the argument count: "1".
At C:\GithubIssue\Github VS Code.ps1:26 char:1
+ $loggerFactory = [Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.LoggerFactory]::new(
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodException  
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : MethodCountCouldNotFindBest
 
Cannot find an overload for "new" and the argument count: "1".
At C:\GithubIssue\Github VS Code.ps1:61 char:5
+     [Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerProvider]::new ...
+     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodException        
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : MethodCountCouldNotFindBest
 
Constructor not found.
Constructor not found.
Microsoft.Extensions.Options.IOptionsMonitor`1[[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions, Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console, Version=7.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=adb9793829ddae60]]
Microsoft.Extensions.Options.OptionsMonitor`1[[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions, Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console, Version=7.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=adb9793829ddae60]]
Exception calling "Invoke" with "1" argument(s): "Object of type 
'Microsoft.Extensions.Options.OptionsMonitor`1[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]' cannot be converted to type 
'Microsoft.Extensions.Options.IOptionsMonitor`1[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]'."
At C:\GithubIssue\Github VS Code.ps1:86 char:5
+     $foolMe = $constructor.Invoke(@($optionsMonitor))
+     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ArgumentException
 
Exception calling "Invoke" with "1" argument(s): "Object of type 
'Microsoft.Extensions.Options.OptionsMonitor`1[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]' cannot be converted to type 
'Microsoft.Extensions.Options.IOptionsMonitor`1[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]'."
At C:\GithubIssue\Github VS Code.ps1:90 char:5
+     $foolMe = $constructor.Invoke(@($cast))
+     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ArgumentException
 
Exception calling "Invoke" with "1" argument(s): "Object of type 
'Microsoft.Extensions.Options.OptionsMonitor`1[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]' cannot be converted to type 
'Microsoft.Extensions.Options.IOptionsMonitor`1[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]'."
At C:\GithubIssue\Github VS Code.ps1:94 char:5
+     $foolMe = $constructor.Invoke(@($cast))
+     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ArgumentException

The crucial error is:

 "Object of type 
'Microsoft.Extensions.Options.OptionsMonitor`1[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]' cannot be converted to type 
'Microsoft.Extensions.Options.IOptionsMonitor`1[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]'."

Why does this happen and how can I avoid it?

I know that one type is an interface. But for one thing, Powershell doesn't know the difference. On the other hand, why does it work in a Windows Powershell 5.1 console, but not in the Windows Powershell 5.1 terminal of VS Code?

PowerShell Version

PS C:\> $PSVersionTable

Name                           Value
----                           -----
PSVersion                      5.1.19041.2364
PSEdition                      Desktop
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...}
BuildVersion                   10.0.19041.2364
CLRVersion                     4.0.30319.42000
WSManStackVersion              3.0
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1

Visual Studio Code Version

PS C:\> code --version
1.75.1
441438abd1ac652551dbe4d408dfcec8a499b8bf
x64

Extension Version

PS C:\> code --list-extensions --show-versions | Select-String powershell

ms-vscode.powershell@2023.1.0
tobysmith568.run-in-powershell@1.1.1

Steps to Reproduce

# This works fine in
# Windows Powershell 5.1 console
# Powershell Core 7.3.2 console
# Visual Studio Code Powershell Core 7.3.2 terminal
# BUT NOT IN
# Visual Studio Code Windows Powershell 5.1 terminal

Add-Type -Path "$PSScriptRoot\v7.0.0\Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.dll"
Add-Type -Path "$PSScriptRoot\v7.0.0\Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.dll"
Add-Type -Path "$PSScriptRoot\v7.0.0\Microsoft.Extensions.Options.dll"


$configureNamedOptions = [Microsoft.Extensions.Options.ConfigureNamedOptions[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]]::new('', $null)

$optionsFactory = [Microsoft.Extensions.Options.OptionsFactory[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]]::new(
    [Microsoft.Extensions.Options.ConfigureNamedOptions[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions][]] @($configureNamedOptions), 
    [System.Collections.Generic.List[Microsoft.Extensions.Options.IPostConfigureOptions[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]]]::new()
)

$optionsMonitor = [Microsoft.Extensions.Options.OptionsMonitor[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]]::new(
    $optionsFactory,
    [System.Collections.Generic.List[Microsoft.Extensions.Options.IOptionsChangeTokenSource[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]]]::new(),
    [Microsoft.Extensions.Options.OptionsCache[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]]::new()
)

$loggerFactory = [Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.LoggerFactory]::new(
    [Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerProvider[]] @([Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerProvider]::new($optionsMonitor)),
    [Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.LoggerFilterOptions] @{ MinLevel = [Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.LogLevel]::Trace }
)

if ($null -ne $loggerFactory) {
    $method = [Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.LoggerFactoryExtensions].GetMethod('CreateLogger',
        [System.Reflection.BindingFlags]::Static -bor [System.Reflection.BindingFlags]::Public, $null, 
        [Type[]]@([Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.ILoggerFactory]), $null
    )

    $method = $method.MakeGenericMethod(@([int]))
    $logger = $method.Invoke($null, @($loggerFactory))

    $method = [Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.LoggerExtensions].GetMethod('LogInformation',
        [System.Reflection.BindingFlags]::Static -bor [System.Reflection.BindingFlags]::Public, 
        $null, 
        [Type[]]@([Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.ILogger], [string], [object[]]), 
        $null
    )

    $loggerFactory.Dispose()
}

if ($null -ne $logger) {
    if ($PSVersionTable.PSVersion.Major -gt 5) {
        $method.Invoke($null, @($logger, "Hello from Powershell Core", $null))
    }
    else {
        $method.Invoke($null, @($logger, "Hello from Windows Powershell", $null))
    }
}

### Try to narrow down the error ####################################################################
if ($null -eq $loggerFactory) {
    # Get original error message.
    [Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerProvider]::new($optionsMonitor)
    # Get a better error message.

    $constructor = [Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerProvider].GetConstructor( 
        [Type[]]@([Microsoft.Extensions.Options.OptionsMonitor[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions]], [string], [object[]])
    )

    if ($null -eq $constructor) {
        Write-Host -F Yellow 'Constructor not found.'
    }
    # Let's try FullName.
    $constructor = [Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerProvider].GetConstructor( 
        [Type[]]@([Microsoft.Extensions.Options.IOptionsMonitor[[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions, Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console, Version = 7.0.0.0, Culture = neutral, PublicKeyToken = adb9793829ddae60]]], [string], [object[]])
    )

    if ($null -eq $constructor) {
        Write-Host -F Yellow 'Constructor not found.'
    }

    #But it exists!
    $constructor = [Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerProvider].GetConstructors()[0]
    $constructor.GetParameters().ParameterType.FullName
    $optionsMonitor.GetType().FullName

    # Try constructor.
    $foolMe = $constructor.Invoke(@($optionsMonitor))

    # Ok, try to cast it.
    $cast = [Microsoft.Extensions.Options.IOptionsMonitor[[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions, Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console, Version = 7.0.0.0, Culture = neutral, PublicKeyToken = adb9793829ddae60]]] $optionsMonitor
    $foolMe = $constructor.Invoke(@($cast))

    # Ok, try to cast it again.
    $cast = $optionsMonitor -as [Microsoft.Extensions.Options.IOptionsMonitor[[Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console.ConsoleLoggerOptions, Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console, Version = 7.0.0.0, Culture = neutral, PublicKeyToken = adb9793829ddae60]]]
    $foolMe = $constructor.Invoke(@($cast))

    # I give up.
}

Visuals

No response

Logs

No response

Start by running the inline reproduction script with the referenced v7.0.0 Microsoft.Extensions DLLs in the Windows PowerShell 5.1 terminal, then compare it with the listed working consoles. Inspect the extension's terminal and PowerShell session setup to identify why the same generic types load incompatibly. Done means explaining the VS Code-only behavior and documenting or fixing a reproducible path for the reported constructors and casts.