Prompt for user input in PowerShell

Question

I want to prompt the user for a series of inputs, including a password and a filename.

I have an example of using host.ui.prompt, which seems sensible,

Answer 1

Using parameter binding is definitely the way to go here. Not only is it very quick to write (just add [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)] above your mandatory parameters), but it's also the only option that you won't hate yourself for later.

More below:

[Console]::ReadLine is explicitly forbidden by the FxCop rules for PowerShell. Why? Because it only works in PowerShell.exe, not PowerShell ISE, PowerGUI, etc.

Read-Host is, quite simply, bad form. Read-Host uncontrollably stops the script to prompt the user, which means that you can never have another script that includes the script that uses Read-Host.

You're trying to ask for parameters.

You should use the [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)] attribute, and correct typing, to ask for the parameters.

If you use this on a [SecureString], it will prompt for a password field. If you use this on a Credential type, ([Management.Automation.PSCredential]), the credentials dialog will pop up, if the parameter isn't there. A string will just become a plain old text box. If you add a HelpMessage to the parameter attribute (that is, [Parameter(Mandatory = $true, HelpMessage = 'New User Credentials')]) then it will become help text for the prompt.