Question

Powershell is returning a 0 exit code, when an error has occurred, if called with the -File argument. Which means my build is green when it shouldn’t be 🙁

For example:

(in wtf.ps1)

$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop";   
$null.split()

(cmd)

powershell -file c:\wtf.ps1  
You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
At C:\wtf.ps1:3 char:12
+ $null.split <<<< ()
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (split:String) [], ParentConta
   insErrorRecordException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull


echo %errorlevel%  
0

powershell c:\wtf.ps1  
You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
At C:\wtf.ps1:3 char:12
+ $null.split <<<< ()
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (split:String) [], ParentConta
   insErrorRecordException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull


echo %errorlevel%  
1

Any ideas?

(I’ve tried pretty much every idea from the first 2 pages of this: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=powershell+file+argument+exit+code already)

Answer 1

In the script, use the exit keyword with a number of your choice:

exit 34

Here’s the script I used to test this:

## D:\Scripts\Temp\exit.ps1 ##
try{
    $null.split()
}
catch
{
    exit 34
}

exit 2
#############################

# launch powershell from cmd 
C:\> powershell -noprofile -file D:\Scripts\Temp\exit.ps1
C:\>echo %errorlevel%
34