How to pass boolean values to a PowerShell script from a command prompt

Question

I have to invoke a PowerShell script from a batch file. One of the arguments to the script is a boolean value:

C:\\Windows\\System32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0         


        

Answer 1

Running powershell scripts on linux from bash gives the same problem. Solved it almost the same as LarsWA's answer:

Working:

pwsh -f ./test.ps1 -bool:true

Not working:

pwsh -f ./test.ps1 -bool=1
pwsh -f ./test.ps1 -bool=true
pwsh -f ./test.ps1 -bool true
pwsh -f ./test.ps1 {-bool=true}
pwsh -f ./test.ps1 -bool=$true
pwsh -f ./test.ps1 -bool=\$true
pwsh -f ./test.ps1 -bool 1
pwsh -f ./test.ps1 -bool:1

Answer 2

This is an older question, but there is actually an answer to this in the PowerShell documentation. I had the same problem, and for once RTFM actually solved it. Almost.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_powershell_exe

Documentation for the -File parameter states that "In rare cases, you might need to provide a Boolean value for a switch parameter. To provide a Boolean value for a switch parameter in the value of the File parameter, enclose the parameter name and value in curly braces, such as the following: -File .\Get-Script.ps1 {-All:$False}"

I had to write it like this:

PowerShell.Exe -File MyFile.ps1 {-SomeBoolParameter:False}

So no '$' before the true/false statement, and that worked for me, on PowerShell 4.0

Answer 3

A more clear usage might be to use switch parameters instead. Then, just the existence of the Unify parameter would mean it was set.

Like so:

param (
  [int] $Turn,
  [switch] $Unify
)

Answer 4

It appears that powershell.exe does not fully evaluate script arguments when the -File parameter is used. In particular, the $false argument is being treated as a string value, in a similar way to the example below:

PS> function f( [bool]$b ) { $b }; f -b '$false'
f : Cannot process argument transformation on parameter 'b'. Cannot convert value 
"System.String" to type "System.Boolean", parameters of this type only accept 
booleans or numbers, use $true, $false, 1 or 0 instead.
At line:1 char:36
+ function f( [bool]$b ) { $b }; f -b <<<<  '$false'
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidData: (:) [f], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentTransformationError,f

Instead of using -File you could try -Command, which will evaluate the call as script:

CMD> powershell.exe -NoProfile -Command .\RunScript.ps1 -Turn 1 -Unify $false
Turn: 1
Unify: False

As David suggests, using a switch argument would also be more idiomatic, simplifying the call by removing the need to pass a boolean value explicitly:

CMD> powershell.exe -NoProfile -File .\RunScript.ps1 -Turn 1 -Unify
Turn: 1
Unify: True