New-Module
Creates a new dynamic module that exists only in memory.
Syntax
New-Module
[-ScriptBlock] <ScriptBlock>
[-Function <String[]>]
[-Cmdlet <String[]>]
[-ReturnResult]
[-AsCustomObject]
[-ArgumentList <Object[]>]
[<CommonParameters>]New-Module
[-Name] <String>
[-ScriptBlock] <ScriptBlock>
[-Function <String[]>]
[-Cmdlet <String[]>]
[-ReturnResult]
[-AsCustomObject]
[-ArgumentList <Object[]>]
[<CommonParameters>]Description
The New-Module cmdlet creates a dynamic module from a script block. The members of the dynamic module, such as functions and variables, are immediately available in the session and remain available until you close the session.
Like static modules, by default, the cmdlets and functions in a dynamic module are exported and the variables and aliases are not. However, you can use the Export-ModuleMember cmdlet and the parameters of New-Module to override the defaults.
You can also use the AsCustomObject parameter of New-Module to return the dynamic module as a custom object. The members of the modules, such as functions, are implemented as script methods of the custom object instead of being imported into the session.
Dynamic modules exist only in memory, not on disk. Like all modules, the members of dynamic modules run in a private module scope that is a child of the global scope. Get-Module cannot get a dynamic module, but Get-Command can get the exported members.
To make a dynamic module available to Get-Module, pipe a New-Module command to Import-Module, or pipe the module object that New-Module returns to Import-Module. This action adds the dynamic module to the Get-Module list, but it does not save the module to disk or make it persistent.
Examples
Example 1: Create a dynamic module
New-Module -ScriptBlock {function Hello {"Hello!"}}
Name : __DynamicModule_2ceb1d0a-990f-45e4-9fe4-89f0f6ead0e5
Path : 2ceb1d0a-990f-45e4-9fe4-89f0f6ead0e5
Description :
Guid : 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
Version : 0.0
ModuleBase :
ModuleType : Script
PrivateData :
AccessMode : ReadWrite
ExportedAliases : {}
ExportedCmdlets : {}
ExportedFunctions : {[Hello, Hello]}
ExportedVariables : {}
NestedModules : {}This command creates a new dynamic module with a function called Hello. The command returns a module object that represents the new dynamic module.
Example 2: Working with dynamic modules and Get-Module and Get-Command
new-module -scriptblock {function Hello {"Hello!"}}
Name : __DynamicModule_2ceb1d0a-990f-45e4-9fe4-89f0f6ead0e5
Path : 2ceb1d0a-990f-45e4-9fe4-89f0f6ead0e5
Description :
Guid : 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
Version : 0.0
ModuleBase :
ModuleType : Script
PrivateData :
AccessMode : ReadWrite
ExportedAliases : {}
ExportedCmdlets : {}
ExportedFunctions : {[Hello, Hello]}
ExportedVariables : {}
NestedModules : {}
Get-Module
Get-Command Hello
CommandType Name Definition
----------- ---- ----------
Function Hello "Hello!"This example demonstrates that dynamic modules are not returned by the Get-Module cmdlet. The members that they export are returned by the Get-Command cmdlet.
Example 3: Export a variable into the current session
New-Module -ScriptBlock {$SayHelloHelp="Type 'SayHello', a space, and a name."; function SayHello ($name) { "Hello, $name" }; Export-ModuleMember -function SayHello -Variable SayHelloHelp}
$SayHelloHelp
Type 'SayHello', a space, and a name.
SayHello Jeffrey
Hello, JeffreyThis command uses the Export-ModuleMember cmdlet to export a variable into the current session. Without the Export-ModuleMember command, only the function is exported.
The output shows that both the variable and the function were exported into the session.
Example 4: Make a dynamic module available to Get-Module
New-Module -ScriptBlock {function Hello {"Hello!"}} -name GreetingModule | Import-Module
Get-Module
Name : GreetingModule
Path : d54dfdac-4531-4db2-9dec-0b4b9c57a1e5
Description :
Guid : 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
Version : 0.0
ModuleBase :
ModuleType : Script
PrivateData :
AccessMode : ReadWrite
ExportedAliases : {}
ExportedCmdlets : {}
ExportedFunctions : {[Hello, Hello]}
ExportedVariables : {}
NestedModules : {}
Get-Command hello
CommandType Name Definition
----------- ---- ----------
Function Hello "Hello!"This command demonstrates that you can make a dynamic module available to Get-Module by piping the dynamic module to Import-Module.
The first command uses a pipeline operator (|) to send the module object that New-Module generates to the Import-Module cmdlet. The command uses the Name parameter of New-Module to assign a friendly name to the module. Because Import-Module does not return any objects by default, there is no output from this command.
The second command uses Get-Module to get the modules in the session. The result shows that Get-Module can get the new dynamic module.
The third command uses the Get-Command cmdlet to get the Hello function that the dynamic module exports.
Example 5: Generate a custom object that has exported functions
$m = New-Module -ScriptBlock {function Hello ($name) {"Hello, $name"}; function Goodbye ($name) {"Goodbye, $name"}} -AsCustomObject
$m
$m | Get-Member
TypeName: System.Management.Automation.PSCustomObject
Name MemberType Definition
---- ---------- ----------
Equals Method bool Equals(System.Object obj)
GetHashCode Method int GetHashCode()
GetType Method type GetType()
ToString Method string ToString()
Goodbye ScriptMethod System.Object Goodbye();
Hello ScriptMethod System.Object Hello();
$m.goodbye("Jane")
Goodbye, Jane
$m.hello("Manoj")
Hello, ManojThis example shows how to use the AsCustomObject parameter of New-Module to generate a custom object that has script methods that represent the exported functions.
The first command uses the New-Module cmdlet to generate a dynamic module with two functions, Hello and Goodbye. The command uses the AsCustomObject parameter to generate a custom object instead of the PSModuleInfo object that New-Module generates by default. The command saves the custom object in the $m variable.
The second command attempts to display the value of the $m variable. No content appears.
The third command uses a pipeline operator to send the custom object to the Get-Member cmdlet, which displays the properties and methods of the custom object. The output shows that the object has script methods that represent the Hello and Goodbye functions.
The fourth and fifth commands use the script method format to call the Hello and Goodbye functions.
Example 6: Get the results of the script block
New-Module -ScriptBlock {function SayHello {"Hello, World!"}; SayHello} -ReturnResult
Hello, World!This command uses the ReturnResult parameter to request the results of running the script block instead of requesting a module object.
The script block in the new module defines the SayHello function and then calls the function.
Parameters
-ArgumentList
Specifies an array of arguments which are parameter values that are passed to the script block.
| Type: | Object[] |
| Aliases: | Args |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-AsCustomObject
Indicates that this cmdlet returns a custom object that represents the dynamic module. The module members are implemented as script methods of the custom object, but they are not imported into the session. You can save the custom object in a variable and use dot notation to invoke the members.
If the module has multiple members with the same name, such as a function and a variable that are both named A, only one member with each name can be accessed from the custom object.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Cmdlet
Specifies an array of cmdlets that this cmdlet exports from the module into the current session. Enter a comma-separated list of cmdlets. Wildcard characters are permitted. By default, all cmdlets in the module are exported.
You cannot define cmdlets in a script block, but a dynamic module can include cmdlets if it imports the cmdlets from a binary module.
| Type: | String[] |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Function
Specifies an array of functions that this cmdlet exports from the module into the current session. Enter a comma-separated list of functions. Wildcard characters are permitted. By default, all functions defined in a module are exported.
| Type: | String[] |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | True |
-Name
Specifies a name for the new module. You can also pipe a module name to New-Module.
The default value is an autogenerated name that starts with __DynamicModule_ and is followed by a GUID that specifies the path of the dynamic module.
| Type: | String |
| Position: | 0 |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | True |
| Accept pipeline input: | True |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-ReturnResult
Indicates that this cmdlet runs the script block and returns the script block results instead of returning a module object.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-ScriptBlock
Specifies the contents of the dynamic module. Enclose the contents in braces ( { } ) to create a script block. This parameter is required.
| Type: | ScriptBlock |
| Position: | 1 |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | True |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
Inputs
You can pipe a module name to this cmdlet.
Outputs
System.Management.Automation.PSModuleInfo, System.Management.Automation.PSCustomObject, or None
This cmdlet generates a PSModuleInfo object, by default. If you use the AsCustomObject parameter, it generates a PSCustomObject object. If you use the ReturnResult parameter, it returns the result of evaluating the script block in the dynamic module.
Notes
- You can also refer to
New-Moduleby its alias,nmo. For more information, see about_Aliases.