Write string data or an object to the information stream.
Syntax
Write-Information [-MessageData] Object [[-Tags] String[]] [CommonParameters]
Key
-MessageData Object
An informational message to display to users as they run a script or command.
For best results, enclose the message in quotes: "Test complete."
-Tags String[]
A simple string that can be used to sort and filter messages that have been added to the information
stream with Write-Information. This parameter works similarly to the -Tags parameter in New-ModuleManifest.
Windows PowerShell 5.0 introduces a new, structured information stream (number 6 in Windows PowerShell streams) that you can use to transmit structured data between a script and its callers (or hosting environment).
Write-Information lets you add an informational message to the stream, and specify how Windows PowerShell handles information stream data for a command.
The $InformationPreference preference variable value determines whether the message you provide to Write-Information is displayed at the expected point in a script's operation. Because the default value of this variable is SilentlyContinue, by default, informational messages are not shown.
If you don’t want to change the value of $InformationPreference, you can override its value by adding the -InformationAction common parameter to your command.
Starting in PowerShell 5.0, Write-Host is a wrapper for Write-Information . You can now use Write-Host to emit output to the information stream, but the $InformationPreference preference variable and InformationAction common parameter do not affect Write-Host messages.
Information streams also work for PowerShell.Streams, jobs, scheduled jobs, and workflows.
Write-Information is also a supported workflow activity.
By default Write-Information output is not displayed because the $InformationPreference variable is set to its default, SilentlyContinue:
PS C:\> Write-Information -MessageData "This will not display"
Setting -InformationAction will over-ride the default:
PS C:\> Write-Information -MessageData "Hello World 123" -InformationAction Continue
PS C:\> Write-Information -MessageData $("message" + $variable) -InformationAction Continue
Adding -tags means that if you later search the information stream for messages tagged 'ss64', the message specified here would be among the results:
PS C:\> Write-Information -MessageData "Insert floppy disc" -Tags "ss64" -InformationAction Continue
Show an informational message, "Got your features!", after running the Get-WindowsFeature command to find all features that have a Name value that starts with p. Because the $InformationPreference variable is still set to its default, SilentlyContinue, you add the InformationAction parameter to override the $InformationPreference value, and show the message. The InformationAction value is Continue, which means that your message is shown, but the script or command continues, if it is not yet finished.
PS C:\> Get-WindowsFeature -Name p*; Write-Information -MessageData "Got your features!" -InformationAction Continue
"You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories.
If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better" ~ Anne Lamott
Tee-Object - Send input objects to two places.
Write-Debug - Write a debug message to the host display.
Write-Error - Write an object to the error pipeline.
Write-Host - Display objects through the host user interface.
Write-Output - Write an object to the pipeline.
Write-Progress - Display a progress bar.
Write-Verbose - Write a string to the host’s verbose display.
Write-Warning - Write a warning message.