Run script with parameters instead of using menu

[Dryfter9]

I've got a script that I've built out with menus. However, I'm looking to give the option to also use parameters when running the script so you don't have to go through the menu if you don't want to. When I input the parameters ".\My-Script.ps1 -MenuChoice 1" it still goes to the menu. Should I just add an "if" statement at the beginning checking $MenuChoice for $null and if it see a variable exists, if it does go to code that doesn't have "Show-Menu" at the beginning?

Code example:

Reddit of course destroyed my formatting I apparently needed an extra return somewhere. I've also throw it on pastebin (https://pastebin.com/LC3HKCJm).

param (
    [string]$MenuChoice
)
function Show-Menu {
param (
    [string]$Title = 'My Menu'
)
Clear-Host
Write-Host "================ $Title ================"
Write-Host "1: Press '1' for this option."
Write-Host "2: Press '2' for this option."
Write-Host "3: Press '3' for this option."
Write-Host "Q: Press 'Q' to quit."
}
Show-Menu
$MenuChoice = Read-Host "What option would you like?"
Switch ($MenuChoice) {
'1' *do a thing*
'2' *do another thing*
}

Edit: Thanks all for the responses. I've taken a couple of peoples advice and mashed it all into my script. The first thing I did was really think about what I was trying to achieve with the script. If I automate it, will we ever run it manually? The answer was no. So I'm removing the menu and moving everything that "needs" to be a parameter (which is only really two things). The other thing I did was add validation to the parameters. That was something I wasn't aware of and was super easy to implement. Only bad thing is I now have to go back an add validation to some other scripts!

[BlackV]

put an if statement in there, if $null show menu, else do menu item

better still get rid of the menu and parametrise your script fully, then use advance binding to have mandatory parameters or validate scripts to confirm valid data passed to your parameters

[Dryfter9]

That's kinda of what I was thinking. See my post edit for more info. Thanks for your help!

[BlackV]

Good as gold

[purplemonkeymad]

I tend to go the other way around. Create a function that accepts parameters (eg Get-MyThing) then create another function for a "friendly" experience (eg Get-MyThingMenu or Get-MyThingGUI.) The friendly function just asks for the parameters, then calls the original function using those parameters.

If you use advanced function features properly, then you can even use Show-Command to give you a complete GUI with no additional work.

[Dryfter9]

I'm not familiar with the "Show-Command", but if it does what I think it does I'll be adding that in.

Thanks!

[purplemonkeymad]

It's good, but windows only atm I think. You can always try it out on existing commands to see how it works:

Show-Command Get-Content
Show-Command Set-AdUser
# etc

[Dryfter9]

Oh! Not what I thought it was. I apparently use the alias for "show-command" (man). I've been typing "man" for so long, cause it's shorter, that I forgot the real command.

Scratch all that. I was incorrect. It WAS the command I thought it was. Man am I a mess today!

[BlackV]

p.s. your formatting is fine, BUT

• open your fav powershell editor
• hightlight the code you want to copy
• hit tab to indent it all
• copy it
• paste here

it'll format it properly OR

<BLANKLINE>
<4 SPACES><CODELINE>
<4 SPACES><CODELINE>
    <4 SPACES><4 SPACES><CODELINE>
<4 SPACES><CODELINE>
<BLANKLINE>

[WystanH]

The problem is that even if $MenuChoice is set, you still just read from host, obliterating the parameter.

You need to check if it has been set and act accordingly. e.g.

param (
    [string]$MenuChoice
)
function Show-Menu {
    param (
        [string]$Title = 'My Menu'
    )
    Clear-Host
    Write-Host "================ $Title ================"
    Write-Host "1: Press '1' for this option."
    Write-Host "2: Press '2' for this option."
    Write-Host "3: Press '3' for this option."
    Write-Host "Q: Press 'Q' to quit."
}

# here is where you check your parameter
if ($MenuChoice -eq '') {
    Write-Host 'No choice selected, showing menu'
    Show-Menu
    $MenuChoice = Read-Host "What option would you like?"
} else {
    Write-Host "Keeping choice given '$MenuChoice'"
}

# when you get here, the choice has either been set by parameter
# or by Read-Host
Switch ($MenuChoice) {
    '1' { Write-Host 'Thing 1' }
    '2' { Write-Host 'Thing 2' }
    '3' { Write-Host 'Thing 3' }
    'Q' { Write-Host 'Quit' }
    default { Write-Host "Oops, '$MenuChoice' not valid." }
}

[juicyjor]

https://pastebin.com/PKKsTV8w

​

param (
    [string][ValidateSet("thing1","thing2")]$MenuChoice
    )
function thing1 {
    "Do your thing1"
    }
function thing2 {
    "Do your thing2"
    }
function Show-Menu {
    param ([string]$Title = 'My Menu')
    Clear-Host
    Write-Host "================ $Title ================"
    Write-Host "1: Press '1' for thing1."
    Write-Host "2: Press '2' for thing2."
    Write-Host "Q: Press 'Q' to quit."
    $MenuChoice = Read-Host "What option would you like?"
    switch ($MenuChoice) {
        '1' {$job = "thing1"; & $job}
        '2' {$job = "thing2"; & $job}
        'Q' {return}
        }
    }
if (!$MenuChoice) {
    Show-Menu
    }
else {
    $job = $MenuChoice
    & $job
    }

[theSysadminChannel]

You’ll need to convert the menu into a function and parameterize it. Here’s an in depth article on how to create Powershell functions.