PowerShell Out-File

The Out-File cmdlet in PowerShell sends the output to a specific file. When you need to use its parameters, use this cmdlet instead of redirection operator (>).

Syntax

Parameters

Followings are the parameters used in this cmdlet:

-FilePath and -LiteralPath

Both the parameters are used to specify the path to the file in the command.

-Encoding

This parameter specifies the type of character used in the file. The default value of this parameter is UTF8NoBOM. Followings are the acceptable values for this parameter:

• ASCII
• Unicode
• UTF7
• BigEndianUnicode
• UTF8
• UTF8BOM
• UTF8NoBOM
• OEM
• UTF32

-Append

This parameter is used to add the output at the end of an existing file.

-Force

This parameter overwrites the existing read-only files and the read-only attributes. It does not override security restrictions.

-NoClobber

This parameter prevents the existing files with the same name to be overwritten and shows you a message that the file already exists.

-Width

This parameter specifies the number of characters in each output line.

-NoNewLine

This parameter specifies that the content which is written to the file does not end with a new line character.

-InputObject

This parameter specifies those objects which are written to the file.

-WhatIf

This parameter describes what would happen if the cmdlet executes.

-Confirm

This parameter prompts you a confirmation before executing a cmdlet.

Examples

Example 1:

The command in this example sends the output of the get-childitem cmdlet to the text file whose path is specified in the command by using the -FilePath parameter.

Example 2:

The command in this example does not send the output of the get-process cmdlet to the k.txt file, and it shows an error because the file already exists. The file k.txt cannot be overwritten because of the -NoClobber parameter in the command.