Debug | Easy Powershell 2.0 Reference

SYNOPSIS
Writes a debug message to the console.

SYNTAX
Write-Debug [-Message] <string> [<CommonParameters>]

DESCRIPTION
The Write-Debug cmdlet writes debug messages to the console from a script or command.

By default, debug messages are not displayed in the console, but you can display them by using the Debug parameter or the $DebugPreference Variable.

PARAMETERS
-Message <string>
Specifies the debug message to send to the console.

        Required?                    true
        Position?                    1
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     true (ByValue)
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    <CommonParameters>
        This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
        ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
        OutBuffer and OutVariable. For more information, type,
        “Get-Help about_CommonParameters“.

INPUTS
System.String
You can pipe a string that contains a debug message to Write-Debug.

OUTPUTS
None
Write-Debug writes only to the debug stream. It does not return any output.

NOTES

————————– EXAMPLE 1 ————————–

C:\PS>Write-Debug “Cannot open file.”

    Description
    ———–
    This command writes a debug message. Because the value of $DebugPreference is “SilentlyContinue”, the message is not displayed in the console.

————————– EXAMPLE 2 ————————–

C:\PS>$DebugPreference

SilentlyContinue

C:\PS> Write-Debug “Cannot open file.”
C:\PS>

C:\PS> Write-Debug “Cannot open file.” -Debug
DEBUG: Cannot open file.

    Description
    ———–
    This example shows how to use the Debug common parameter to override the value of the $DebugPreference Variable for a particular command.

The first command displays the value of the $DebugPreference Variable, which is “SilentlyContinue”, the default.

The second command writes a debug message but, because of the value of $DebugPreference, the message does not appear.

The third command writes a debug message. It uses the Debug common parameter to override the value of $DebugPreference and to display the debug messages resulting from this command.

As a result, even though the value of $DebugPreference is “SilentlyContinue”, the debug message appears.

For more information about the Debug common parameter, see about_CommonParameters.

————————– EXAMPLE 3 ————————–

C:\PS>$DebugPreference

SilentlyContinue

C:\PS> Write-Debug “Cannot open file.”
C:\PS>

C:\PS> $DebugPreference = “Continue”

C:\PS> Write-Debug “Cannot open file.”
DEBUG: Cannot open file.

    Description
    ———–
    This command shows the effect of changing the value of the $DebugPreference Variable on the display of debug messages.

The first command displays the value of the $DebugPreference Variable, which is “SilentlyContinue”, the default.

The second command writes a debug message but, because of the value of $DebugPreference, the message does not appear.

The third command assigns a value of “Continue” to the $DebugPreference Variable.

The fourth command writes a debug message, which appears on the console.

For more information about $DebugPreference, see about_preference_variables.

RELATED LINKS
    Online version: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113424
    Write-Verbose
    Write-Error
    Write-Host
    Write-Progress
    Write-Output
    Write-Warning

NAME
Debug-Process

SYNOPSIS
Debugs one or more processes running on the local computer.

SYNTAX
Debug-Process [-Name] <string[]> [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]

Debug-Process [-Id] <Int32[]> [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]

Debug-Process -InputObject <Process[]> [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]

DESCRIPTION
The Debug-Process cmdlet attaches a debugger to one or more running processes on a local computer. You can specify the processes by their process name or process ID (PID), or you can pipe process objects to Debug-Process.

Debug-Process attaches the debugger that is currently registered for the process. Before using this cmdlet, verify that a debugger is downloaded and correctly configured.

PARAMETERS
-Id <Int32[]>
Specifies the process IDs of the processes to be debugged. The parameter name (“-Id”) is optional.

To find the process ID of a process, type “Get-Process“.

        Required?                    true
        Position?                    1
        Default value                None
        Accept pipeline input?     true (ByPropertyName)
        Accept wildcard characters? false

-InputObject <Process[]>
Specifies the process objects that represent processes to be debugged. Enter a Variable that contains the process objects or a command that gets the process objects, such as a Get-Process command. You can also pipe process objects to Debug-Process.

        Required?                    true
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     true (ByValue)
        Accept wildcard characters? false

-Name <string[]>
Specifies the names of the processes to be debugged. If there is more than one process with the same name, Debug-Process attaches a debugger to all processes with that name. The parameter name (“Name”) is optional.

        Required?                    true
        Position?                    1
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     true (ByPropertyName)
        Accept wildcard characters? false

-Confirm [<SwitchParameter>]
Prompts you for confirmation before executing the command.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

-WhatIf [<SwitchParameter>]
Describes what would happen if you executed the command without actually executing the command.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

INPUTS
System.Int32, System.Diagnostics.Process, System.String
You can pipe a process ID (Int32), a process object (System.Diagnostics.Process), or a process name (String) to Debug-Process.

OUTPUTS
None
This cmdlet does not generate any output.

NOTES

This cmdlet uses the AttachDebugger method of the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Win32_Process class. For more information about this method, see “AttachDebugger Method” in the MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) library at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=143640.

————————– EXAMPLE 1 ————————–

C:\PS>Debug-Process -Name powershell

    Description
    ———–
    This command attaches a debugger to the PowerShell process on the computer.

————————– EXAMPLE 2 ————————–

C:\PS>Debug-Process -Name sql*

    Description
    ———–
    This command attaches a debugger to all processes that have names that begin with “sql”.

————————– EXAMPLE 3 ————————–

C:\PS>Debug-Process winlogon, explorer, outlook

    Description
    ———–
    This command attaches a debugger to the Winlogon, Explorer, and Outlook processes.

————————– EXAMPLE 4 ————————–

C:\PS>Debug-Process -id 1132, 2028

    Description
    ———–
    This command attaches a debugger to the processes that have process IDs 1132 and 2028.

————————– EXAMPLE 5 ————————–

C:\PS>Get-Process powershell | Debug-Process

    Description
    ———–
    This command attaches a debugger to the PowerShell processes on the computer. It uses the Get-Process cmdlet to get the PowerShell processes on the computer, and it uses a pipeline operator (|) to send the processes to the Debug-Process cmdlet.

To specify a particular PowerShell process, use the ID parameter of Get-Process.

————————– EXAMPLE 6 ————————–

C:\PS>$pid | Debug-Process

    Description
    ———–
    This command attaches a debugger to the current PowerShell processes on the computer.

It uses the $pid automatic Variable, which contains the process ID of the current PowerShell process. Then, it uses a pipeline operator (|) to send the process ID to the Debug-Process cmdlet.

For more information about the $pid automatic Variable, see about_Automatic_Variables.

————————– EXAMPLE 7 ————————–

C:\PS>Get-Process -computername Server01, Server02 -Name MyApp | Debug-Process

    Description
    ———–
    This command attaches a debugger to the MyApp processes on the Server01 and Server02 computers.

It uses the Get-Process cmdlet to get the MyApp processes on the Server01 and Server02 computers. It uses a pipeline operator to send the processes to the Debug-Process cmdlet, which attaches the debuggers.

————————– EXAMPLE 8 ————————–

C:\PS>$p = Get-Process powershell

C:\PS> Debug-Process -inputobject $p

    Description
    ———–
    This command attaches a debugger to the PowerShell processes on the local computer.

The first command uses the Get-Process cmdlet to get the PowerShell processes on the computer. It saves the resulting process object in the $p Variable.

The second command uses the InputObject parameter of Debug-Process to submit the process object in the $p Variable to Debug-Process.

RELATED LINKS
    Online version: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=135206
    Get-Process
    Start-Process
    Stop-Process
    Wait-Process
    Debug-Process