0

I have written a very large script that does different parts of a larger process.

Now I wanted to seperate these parts to different scripts so I moved each part of the logic to a different ps1 files.

I created: Basic_Functions.ps1 > this contains some functions I use in all the different parts Part1.ps1 > This is the first part of the script Part2.ps1 > The second part should just start after the first part ...

All Part* Scripts use functions defined in Basic_Functions.ps1.

I run the script from the task scheduler and to be sure that the different parts are running in the correct order I created a Runner.ps1 where the code is:

. ".\Basic_Functions.ps1"
. ".\Part1.ps1"
. ".\Part2.ps1"

But then I get an error from Part1.ps1 that the functions defined in Basic_Functions.ps1 do not exist.

When I simple start a PowerShell Session and do . ".\Basic_Functions.ps1" I can use the methods defined and everything works just fine.

Can someone point me into the right direction? Thank you.

Duffkess
  • 38
  • 6
  • 2
    Dont use relative paths for this. Use the Absolute Path to your dependencies, or say all the scripts are in the same folder as `Runner.ps1`, you could use the automatic var `$PSScriptRoot` => `. "$PSSCriptRoot\Basic_Functions.ps1"` and so on – Santiago Squarzon Sep 14 '22 at 21:46
  • @SantiagoSquarzon Thanks for the suggestion. You are right, I just used this to shorten the code for the example, in the real script, I use the absolute paths, thanks. – Duffkess Sep 14 '22 at 21:58

2 Answers2

2

You should create a PowerShell module to include all of the functions. The simplest PowerShell modules are scripts with the extension .psm1 (usually sharing the name with the directory).

In this .psm1, you should have one or more lines that "dot source" the file, using $psScriptRoot (the location of the current script):

Example.psm1

. $psScriptRoot\Basic_Functions.ps1

# Running Import-Module .\Example.psm1 -Force -PassThru will
# reload your functions (and output the module)

Then, in scripts that use the functions defined in .\Basic_Functions.ps1, add this to the top:

#requires -Module Example
# (replace Example with the name of your module)

The #requires comment will make this script error out if the module is not loaded.

Start-Automating
  • 8,067
  • 2
  • 28
  • 47
0

I thought about the answer from @Start-Automating but this would use the same technical method and I did not understand why it does not work in my simple example.

Then I tried to do the my example again and it worked and I was wondering what happened.

Then I checked my original sample and found out that I used a function to shorten some things like this:

function Run-Module ($Modulename){
     . ("path-to-module\"+$modulename+".ps1")
}

But of cause this does not make sense as these module functions would only be available in this lokal function scope and the other modules cant access them as it would never became a global function!

Duffkess
  • 38
  • 6