How to format a hash table with an array?

Question

I want to display a hashtable in PowerShell and I want to use an array to fill one of the columns.

Basically, what I have is this:

$Servers = "training01.us", "training02.us", "training03.us"

#Table
$table = @(@{ColumnA="$Servers";ColumnB=online})
$table.ForEach({[PSCustomObject]$_}) | Format-Table -AutoSize

What I would want it to do is display each server on a different row in the table. For example:

ColumnA
-------
training01.us
training02.us
training03.us

But instead I get this displayed:

ColumnA
-------
training01.us training02.us training03.us

How can I fix this?

from what i can tell you will either need to write your own format code OR make a hashtable with one value per key instead of an array in the value. — Lee_Dailey
– Lee_Dailey, Commented Jan 28, 2019 at 23:56

Ansgar Wiechers · Accepted Answer · 2019-01-28 23:56:44Z

2

This should give you the desired output:

$Servers = "training01.us", "training02.us", "training03.us"
$OFS = "`n"
$table = @(@{ColumnA="$Servers";ColumnB='online'})
$table.ForEach({[PSCustomObject]$_}) | Format-Table -AutoSize -Wrap

Beware, though, that all servers are still in the same field (as a single string). The three name strings are merely joined with newlines (by setting the Output Field Separator to `n).

Format-Table -Wrap then displays the wrapped string value without truncating the output.

Another way to the same result (without having to modify $OFS) would be

$table = @(@{ColumnA=$Servers -join "`n";ColumnB='online'})
$table.ForEach({[PSCustomObject]$_}) | Format-Table -AutoSize -Wrap

answered Jan 28, 2019 at 23:56

Ansgar Wiechers

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4 Comments

techguy1029 Over a year ago

Both of them worked fine. Just out of curiosity, would it be possible to make them separate strings? I don't need the code for that, just curious.

Ansgar Wiechers Over a year ago

Possible: yes. However, PowerShell doesn't normally organize data in columns. Attempts to do so tend to be awkward.

techguy1029 Over a year ago

would this change if ColumnB had a variable inside it that is an array like $Servers?

Ansgar Wiechers Over a year ago

Maybe, mabe not. It depends on what data you have.

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