Catching errors

[Pat Richard]

Trying to wrap my head around this. Let's say I execute the following, WITHOUT defining the variables:

try {
    New-SmbShare -Description "$SmbShareDescription" -FullAccess 'everyone' -Name "$SmbShareName" -Path "$SmbSharePath" | Out-Null
}
catch {
    Write-Warning $_
}

The code in the try block will fail with a ParameterBindingValidationException, and the catch block will execute, as expected.

Now, if I define the variables first and execute, the try code executes and succeeds, no need for the catch code to run. If I run it again, with the same values, the try code fails with a CimException ("the name has already been shared"), as expected, but throws a visible exception error, and the catch block does NOT execute.

Obviously I can set ErrorAction to SilentlyContinue to suppress the visible exception error, but I'm curious why the catch block doesn't execute?

[#2]

It only runs on a terminating error.
Is share already exists a terminating error, possibly not

[#3 · Accepted solution]

Yup, you need to throw a terminating error, which in this case can be done by adding the -ErrorAction Stop parameter.

[10:05:49]# try { New-SmbShare test -Path \ } catch {"aaa"}
New-SmbShare : The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
At line:1 char:7
+ try { New-SmbShare test -Path \ } catch {"aaa"}
+       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (MSFT_SMBShare:ROOT/Microsoft/Windows/SMB/MSFT_SMBShare) [New-SmbShare], CimException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Windows System Error 123,New-SmbShare

[10:06:00]# try { New-SmbShare test -Path \ -ErrorAction Stop} catch {"aaa"}
aaa

[#4]

Thanks. I've looked around to see how to tell if an error will be terminating, and not finding a reference. Anyone have info?