Refreshing scripts in Package Manager Console

Question

I am working on a PowerShell script intended to be run in Package Manager Console. I am able to add a script at the location returned by $profile in Package Manager Console, but I am not able to get the script to pick up changes without opening a fresh instance of Visual Studio.

According to this article, you should be able to reload the script by typing & $profile:

When you make changes to this user profile while Visual Studio is open Visual Studio will not detect any changes. You can type & $profile in the Package Manager Console to reload the profile.

I can use & $profile to verify my script does not have syntax errors, but it does not load the changes into the console session, which requires me to open a fresh Visual Studio session every time I make a script change.

For example, if I set my profile script to:

function foo{
  Write-Output "bar"
}

and then open Visual Studio and Package Manager Console, I can type "foo" at the prompt and get back "bar". If I change "function" to "functionX" and run & $profile, I will get a ParserError in the console. But if I change the script body to Write-Output "baz" and then run & $profile at the console prompt, and I then type foo, I will still get back "bar". The code change is only picked up in a fresh instance of Visual Studio.

Is there a setting in Visual Studio that changes this behavior or a way to force the new script to be loaded?

I believe all you need to do is "dot source" $profile so it runs in that scope again: . $profile — BenH
– BenH, Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 14:04
This did the trick! Please add as an answer so I can accept. — Dan Solovay
– Dan Solovay, Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 15:10

BenH · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-27 15:17:26Z

2

When a script is executed without dot sourcing the variables, functions, etc. defined in that script are not added to the parent scope. By adding a period in front of the command will dot source the script and therefore add things in that parent scope.

In your specific case the command will be:

. $profile

answered Jun 27, 2017 at 15:17

BenH

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