Messing with output from Format-Table

Found at question at psobject.codeplex.com:

I was wondering if I could write the outout without any blank spaces between 2 fields. For example, I am using hash tables to display 2 columns from dir output. But it always comes up with a blank space between those 2 data elements. I need this to generate a fixed format output with data elements only and no spaces in between. Any help is greatly appreciated.

$column1 = @{expression="mode";width=5;label="mode";alignment="left"}
$column2 = @{expression="name";width=10;label="name";alignment="left"}

$dir |format-table $column1,$column2

$mode  name
----  ----
d---- download
d---- extract
-a--- alias.txt
-a--- Compute...
-a--- execute...
-a--- get_dn.ps1
-a--- hh

Well, it can be done. I looked into the objects the Format-Table spit out and after some poking around, I came up with this -

$column1 = @{expression="mode";width=5;label="mode";alignment="left"}
$column2 = @{expression="name";width=20;label="name";alignment="left"}

# Save widths, all non-fixed length value should specify a width
$widths=@{}
dir | format-table $column1,@{l="|";e={"|"}},$column2 | foreach {
    if ($_.pstypenames[0] -eq "Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format.FormatEntryData") {
        # Capture the values and convert them to one value
        $value=""
        $count=$_.formatentryinfo.formatPropertyFieldList.count
        foreach($i in 0..($count-1)) {
            $value+=$_.formatentryinfo.formatPropertyFieldList.item($i).propertyvalue.ToString().padright($widths.$i)
        }
        # Delete all but one field
        $_.formatentryinfo.formatPropertyFieldList.removerange(1,$count-1)
        # and update its value
        $_.formatentryinfo.formatPropertyFieldList.item(0).propertyValue=$value
        $_
     }
     elseif ($_.pstypenames[0] -eq "Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format.FormatStartData") {
        # Capture the headers and convert them to one header
        $value=""
        $width=0
        
        $count=$_.shapeinfo.tablecolumninfolist.count
        foreach($i in 0..($count-1)) {
            $w=$_.shapeinfo.tablecolumninfolist.item($i).width
            $width+=$w
            $widths.$i=$w
            $value+=$_.shapeinfo.tablecolumninfolist.item($i).propertyname.ToString().padright($w)
        }
        # Delete all but one field
        $_.shapeinfo.tablecolumninfolist.removerange(1,$count-1)
        # and update its value
        $_.shapeinfo.tablecolumninfolist.item(0).propertyName=$value
        $_.shapeinfo.tablecolumninfolist.item(0).width=$width
        $_
     }
     else
     {
        $_
     }
}

If you like it, convert it to a function as en exercise ;)

 

Happy formatting!