Outputting Powershell Script elements to a log file

Question

I have the script below.

$log = "C:\DNSLog.txt"

############ GET THE LIST OF RECORDS
$zones = Get-Content "C:\dnslist.txt"

############ TRANSFER THE ZONES TO THE MASTER SERVER
Write-Host "Transferring the zones to the master server..."
foreach ($zone in $zones) {
    Write-Host $zone >> $log
    dnscmd . /zoneadd $zone /Secondary 10.x.x.x >> $log
}

This doesn't seem to be outputting what I need to the log file. All I am getting is the "write-host" portion. No feedback from the "dnscmd" command. I would expect to see this (because the zone already exists in this case, but you get the point for success/failure):

domain1.com

Command failed:  DNS_ERROR_ZONE_ALREADY_EXISTS     9609    0x2589

If I just do:

    Write-Host $zone
    dnscmd . /zoneadd $zone /Secondary 10.x.x.x >> $log

I get the dnscmd output and no "write-host" feedback (as expected). What am I doing wrong that won't let me get the "write-host AND the dnscmd output in the log file???

Many thanks!

Matt · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-26 01:17:52Z

1

Write-Host only writes to the console, and apparently its output cannot be redirected to a file. You should use Write-Output instead.

Notice that Write-Host has options for -Foreground and -Background color, which leads to the idea that it is really intended just for writing to the console window.

edited Mar 26, 2015 at 1:17

Matt

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answered Mar 26, 2015 at 0:13

Chester C

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3 Comments

Dominic Brunetti Over a year ago

Yeah that did it. Thank you so much. Still learning this nifty powershell tool. Lots of cmdlets and options to master. :) Thank you.

Chester C Over a year ago

Can you "accept" the answer ? We both get a few extra points that way. Thanks !

Keith Hill Over a year ago

Write-Host output can be redirected if you use Start-Transcript but Start-Transcript has the issue of not being able to capture exe output. That is fixed in V5. Write-Host output can also be captured like this: powershell.exe -command "& {Write-Host 'testing write-host'}" > test.log

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