The Set-Variable cmdlet assigns a value to a specified variable or changes the current value. If the variable does
not exist, the cmdlet creates it.
PARAMETERS
-Confirm []
Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value False
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Description
Specifies the description of the variable.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Exclude
Specifies an array of items that this cmdlet excludes from the operation. The value of this parameter
qualifies the Path parameter. Enter a path element or pattern, such as `*.txt`. Wildcards are permitted.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Force []
Forces the command to run without asking for user confirmation.
By default, you can overwrite a variable, unless the variable has an option value of ReadOnly or Constant. For
more information, see the Option parameter.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value False
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Include
Specifies an array of items that this cmdlet includes in the operation. The value of this parameter qualifies
the Name parameter. Enter a name or name pattern, such as `c*`. Wildcards are permitted.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Name
Specifies the variable name.
Required? true
Position? 0
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? True (ByPropertyName)
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Option
Specifies the value of the Options property of the variable.
The acceptable values for this parameter are:
- None. Sets no options. ("None" is the default.) - ReadOnly. Can be deleted. Cannot be not changed, except by
using the Force parameter. - Constant. Cannot be deleted or changed. Constant is valid only when you are
creating a variable. You cannot change the options of an existing variable to Constant. - Private. The
variable is available only in the current scope. - AllScope. The variable is copied to any new scopes that are
created.
To see the Options property of all variables in the session, type `Get-Variable | Format-Table -Property name,
options -Autosize`.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-PassThru []
Returns an object representing the item with which you are working. By default, this cmdlet does not generate
any output.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value False
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Scope
Specifies the scope of the variable.The acceptable values for this parameter are:
- Global
- Local
- Script
- A number relative to the current scope (0 through the number of scopes, where 0 is the current scope and 1
is its parent).
Local is the default.
For more information, see about_Scopes.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Value
Specifies the value of the variable.
Required? false
Position? 1
Default value None
Determines whether the variable is visible outside of the session in which it was created. This parameter is
designed for use in scripts and commands that will be delivered to other users. The acceptable values for this
parameter are:
- Public. The variable is visible. (Public is the default.) - Private. The variable is not visible.
When a variable is private, it does not appear in lists of variables, such as those returned by Get-Variable,
or in displays of the Variable: drive. Commands to read or change the value of a private variable return an
error. However, the user can run commands that use a private variable if the commands were written in the
session in which the variable was defined.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-WhatIf []
Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value False
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable. For more information, see
about_CommonParameters (https:/go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113216).
INPUTS
System.Object
You can pipe an object that represents the value of the variable to Set-Variable .
OUTPUTS
None or System.Management.Automation.PSVariable
When you use the PassThru parameter, Set-Variable generates a System.Management.Automation.PSVariable object
representing the new or changed variable. Otherwise, this cmdlet does not generate any output.
NOTES
Example 1: Set a variable and get its value
PS C:\>Set-Variable -Name "desc" -Value "A description"
PS C:\>Get-Variable -Name "desc"
These commands set the value of the desc variable to A description, and then gets the value of the variable.
Example 2: Set a global, read-only variable
PS C:\>Set-Variable -Name "processes" -Value (Get-Process) -Option constant -Scope global -Description "All
processes" -PassThru | Format-List -Property *
This command creates a global, read-only variable that contains all processes on the system, and then it displays
all properties of the variable.
The command uses the Set-Variable cmdlet to create the variable. It uses the PassThru parameter to create an
object representing the new variable, and it uses the pipeline operator (|) to pass the object to the Format-List
cmdlet. It uses the Property parameter of Format-List with a value of all (*) to display all properties of the
newly created variable.
The value, "(Get-Process)", is enclosed in parentheses to ensure that it is executed before being stored in the
variable. Otherwise, the variable contains the words "Get-Process".
Example 3: Understand public vs. private variables
"Cannot access the variable '$counter' because it is a private variable" PS C:\>.\use-counter.ps1
#Commands completed successfully.
This command shows how to change the visibility of a variable to Private. This variable can be read and changed by
scripts with the required permissions, but it is not visible to the user.
The sample output shows the difference in the behavior of public and private variables.