When should I use Write-Error vs. Throw? Terminating vs. non-terminating errors

Question

Looking at a Get-WebFile script over on PoshCode, http://poshcode.org/3226, I noticed this strange-to-me contraption:

$URL_Format_Error = [string]\"...\"
Wri         


        

Answer 1

Write-Error allows the consumer of the function to suppress the error message with -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue (alternatively -ea 0). While throw requires a try{...} catch {..}

To use a try...catch with Write-Error:

try {
    SomeFunction -ErrorAction Stop
}
catch {
    DoSomething
}