Simpler way to execute command from PowerShell prompt

Question

The command below only works if I execute it from a Windows legacy cmd.exe prompt exactly like this:

powershell.exe -command "Write-Host -NoNewLine y ; sleep 2 ; Write-Host -NoNewLine y" | plink.exe ...

If I want to do the same thing from a PowerShell prompt, I have to do:

cmd /c powershell.exe -noprofile -command "Write-Host -NoNewLine y ; sleep 1 ; Write-Host -NoNewLine y" `| plink.exe ...

I'd like to know if there's a simpler & more streamlined way to do the same thing from a PowerShell prompt without breaking anything.

are you trying to echo 'y' character into the STDIN of plink.exe ?? — user2956477
– user2956477, Commented Apr 7, 2021 at 22:02
Without testing (or maybe I don't understand your goal), I guess you abuse host output. For stdin you should use System.Diagnostics.Process*. — swbbl
– swbbl, Commented Apr 7, 2021 at 22:05
Just to be clear, I'm not asking "how" to do it. I need a "y" keypress twice with the correct respective timing and the | character to be treated the same way it does under cmd.exe. I already posted the only two ways I could get the code working in the OP. successfully. I was just looking for a shorter way to do it than the "working" command-linea I posted in the OP. — MKANET
– MKANET, Commented Apr 10, 2021 at 2:35

Bill_Stewart · Accepted Answer · 2021-04-08 21:10:22Z

2

Is your question "how do I pipe text to another program's standard input?" If that's your question, just quote the string and pipe to the program. Example:

PS C:\> "y" | plink ...

You would definitely not use Write-Host in PowerShell for this because output from Write-Host goes only to the host (screen) and cannot be redirected.

To pipe two y responses with a return in between, you would use this:

PS C:\> "y`ny" | plink ...

You say that Write-Host "works" in your scenario. This would mean the y keystroke actually isn't being passed (Write-Host does not produce redirectable output, as noted) and your command is only "working" completely by accident.

edited Apr 8, 2021 at 21:10

answered Apr 7, 2021 at 22:26

Bill_Stewart

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2 Comments

Abraham Zinala Over a year ago

That's correct! Quoting as such defaults to Write-Output which keeps the text as an object.

MKANET Over a year ago

I'm not asking "how" to do it. The methods mentioned above will not work in my case; as, I need "y" keypress twice with the correct respective timing. I already posted the only way I could get the code working in the OP. It doesn't affect the results either way if I use Write-Output or Write-Host for this case in my example.. as they both work. Anyway, I was just looking for a shorter way to do it than the "working" command-line I posted in the OP.

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