PowerShell: Is there an automatic variable for the last execution result?

Question

I\'m looking for a feature comparable to Python interactive shell\'s \"_\" variable. In PowerShell I want something like this:

> Get-Something # this returns          


        

Answer 1

This is from Windows Powershell in Action. Source this in your $profile, and it makes $last contain the output of the last command. It also will change directories by typing the name of the directory a la zsh, or go to a website in a browser by typing the url of the website. It makes an Out-Default function that overrides the Out-Default cmdlet and calls it. I added the "start-process $__command" line so going to a website would work in osx.

This is fairly invasive. I later disabled it in my $profile for some reason.

#
# Wrapping an exiting command with a function that uses
# steppable pipelines to "remote-control" the wrapped command.
    
function Out-Default
{
  [CmdletBinding(ConfirmImpact="Medium")]
  param(
    [Parameter(ValueFromPipeline=$true)] 
    [System.Management.Automation.PSObject] $InputObject
  )
    
  begin {
    $wrappedCmdlet = $ExecutionContext.InvokeCommand.GetCmdlet(
      "Out-Default")
    $sb = { & $wrappedCmdlet @PSBoundParameters }
    $__sp = $sb.GetSteppablePipeline()
    $__sp.Begin($pscmdlet)
  }

  process {
    $do_process = $true
    if ($_ -is [System.Management.Automation.ErrorRecord]) {
      if ($_.Exception -is 
      [System.Management.Automation.CommandNotFoundException]) {
        $__command = $_.Exception.CommandName
        if (test-path -path $__command -pathtype container) {
          set-location $__command
          $do_process = $false
        }
        elseif ($__command -match '^http://|\.(com|org|net|edu)$') {
          if ($matches[0] -ne "http://") {$__command = "HTTP://" + 
            $__command }
          # [diagnostics.process]::Start($__command)
          start-process $__command
          $do_process = $false
        } 
      } 
    }
    if ($do_process) {
      $global:LAST = $_;
      $__sp.Process($_)
    }  
  }

  end {
    $__sp.End()
  }

}