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powershell-windows

PowerShell Windows patterns. Critical pitfalls, operator syntax, error handling.

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SKILL.md

name: powershell-windowsdescription: "PowerShell Windows patterns. Critical pitfalls, operator syntax, error handling."risk: criticalsource: communitydate_added: "2026-02-27"

PowerShell Windows Patterns

Critical patterns and pitfalls for Windows PowerShell.

1. Operator Syntax Rules

CRITICAL: Parentheses Required

❌ Wrong	✅ Correct
`if (Test-Path "a" -or Test-Path "b")`	`if ((Test-Path "a") -or (Test-Path "b"))`
`if (Get-Item $x -and $y -eq 5)`	`if ((Get-Item $x) -and ($y -eq 5))`

Rule: Each cmdlet call MUST be in parentheses when using logical operators.

2. Encoding Compatibility

Prefer portable log markers

Purpose	❌ Don't Use	✅ Use
Success	✅ ✓	[OK] [+]
Error	❌ ✗ 🔴	[!] [X]
Warning	⚠️ 🟡	[*] [WARN]
Info	ℹ️ 🔵	[i] [INFO]
Progress	⏳	[...]

PowerShell supports Unicode. ASCII log markers are a portability choice, not a syntax requirement. For non-ASCII scripts read by Windows PowerShell 5.1, use UTF-8 with BOM; PowerShell 7 uses UTF-8 without BOM by default. Check the consuming tool before choosing file encoding.

3. Null Check Patterns

Always Check Before Access

❌ Wrong	✅ Correct
`$array.Count -gt 0`	`($null -ne $array) -and (@($array).Count -gt 0)`
`$text.Length`	`if ($null -ne $text) { $text.Length }`

4. String Interpolation

Complex Expressions

"Value: $($obj.prop.sub)" is valid subexpression interpolation. Store a complex expression in a variable when that improves readability.

Pattern:

$value = $obj.prop.sub
Write-Output "Value: $value"

5. Error Handling

ErrorActionPreference

Value	Use
Stop	Required cmdlet failures must enter catch
Continue	Report a non-terminating error and continue deliberately
SilentlyContinue	When errors expected

Try/Catch Pattern

A return inside try is valid; finally still runs
Use finally for cleanup
Return after try/catch

6. File Paths

Windows Path Rules

Pattern	Use
Literal path	`C:\Users\User\file.txt`
Variable path	`Join-Path $env:USERPROFILE "file.txt"`
Relative	`Join-Path $ScriptDir "data"`

Rule: Use Join-Path for cross-platform safety.

7. Array Operations

Correct Patterns

Operation	Syntax
Empty array	`$array = @()`
Add item	`$array += $item`
ArrayList add	`$list.Add($item)

8. JSON Operations

CRITICAL: Depth Parameter

❌ Wrong	✅ Correct
`ConvertTo-Json`	`ConvertTo-Json -Depth 10`

Rule: Always specify -Depth for nested objects.

File Operations

Operation	Pattern
Read	`Get-Content "file.json" -Raw
Write	`$data

9. Common Errors

Error Message	Cause	Fix
"parameter 'or'"	Missing parentheses	Wrap cmdlets in ()
"Unexpected token"	Parsing or quoting error	Inspect the reported token and file encoding
"Cannot find property"	Null object	Check null first
"Cannot convert"	Type mismatch	Validate input and convert to the required type

10. Script Template

# Strict mode
Set-StrictMode -Version Latest
$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"

# Paths
$ScriptDir = Split-Path -Parent $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path

# Main
try {
    # Cmdlet logic here; check $LASTEXITCODE after native executables.
    Write-Output "[OK] Done"
    exit 0
}
catch {
    Write-Warning "Error: $_"
    exit 1
}

Remember: Check shell version, encoding, null semantics and native exit codes. try/catch alone does not reliably turn native command failures into exceptions.

References: encoding, quoting.

When to Use

Use when writing or debugging Windows PowerShell or PowerShell 7 scripts, especially command expressions, encoding, paths and error handling.

Limitations

Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.