Forum Discussion
PromptForChoice menu not working in vertical mode.
There's two different overloads for PromptForChoice:
- The single return value definition:
PSHostUserInterface.PromptForChoice Method (System.Management.Automation.Host) | Microsoft Learn - The multiple choice return values definition:
IHostUISupportsMultipleChoiceSelection.PromptForChoice Method (System.Management.Automation.Host) | Microsoft Learn
You're using the multiple choice definition, where while that does indeed display vertically, it requires two consecutive <Enter> to confirm no further input, as a single enter simply accepts one value before letting you specify the next value on the next line.
See the example below:
I'm not aware of any way to make the single return value iteration of PromptForChoice to display vertically. That doesn't mean there isn't one, just that I'm unaware of one.
Cheers,
Lain
- The single return value definition:
Maybe it helps 🙂
Hello, NikolinoDE
Unfortunately it did not help.$decision = $Host.UI.PromptForChoice($title, $question, $options, [int[]]@()) [S] Status [D] Disable [T] Start [E] Enable [C] Clean [X] Exit [?] Help Choice[0]: D Choice[1]:since "@" is used as array operator - how would it influence the action?
There's two different overloads for PromptForChoice:
- The single return value definition:
PSHostUserInterface.PromptForChoice Method (System.Management.Automation.Host) | Microsoft Learn - The multiple choice return values definition:
IHostUISupportsMultipleChoiceSelection.PromptForChoice Method (System.Management.Automation.Host) | Microsoft Learn
You're using the multiple choice definition, where while that does indeed display vertically, it requires two consecutive <Enter> to confirm no further input, as a single enter simply accepts one value before letting you specify the next value on the next line.
See the example below:
I'm not aware of any way to make the single return value iteration of PromptForChoice to display vertically. That doesn't mean there isn't one, just that I'm unaware of one.
Cheers,
Lain
Hello Lain,
thank you for the explanation and the links. It is more clear to me now.
It explains also the behavior for the default choice and the "?" choice as they are already predefined singe values.
I will probably use some visual workaround.
I can use a the title or question section to display the vertical menu as a simple text.
Or i can spend more time and give the script a GUI with WinForms.
- The single return value definition:
You are correct, the @ symbol is used to create an array in PowerShell. In this case, [int[]]@() creates an empty array of integers. This is used as the default choices parameter for the PromptForChoice method.
I ran it through the various AI's (too lazy or unable to think it through myself :)) and here are the results...maybe it helps 🙂
$option1 = New-Object System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription "&Status", "Show the current Status" $option2 = New-Object System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription "&Disable", "Disabled actions." $option3 = New-Object System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription "S&tart", "Start actios." $option4 = New-Object System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription "&Enable", "Enable actions." $option5 = New-Object System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription "&Clean", "Cleanup actions ." $option6 = New-Object System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription "E&xit","Exit the script." $options = [System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription[]]($option1, $option2, $option3, $option4, $option5, $option6) $title = "Title" $question = "Question" $decision = $Host.UI.PromptForChoice($title, $question, $options, [int[]]@())Whether that works!...I don't know either, I haven't tried it 🙂
