How can I get powershell exception descriptions into a string?

Question

I want to have access to the same message that Powershell prints when you send an error record to the output stream

Example:

This is the excep

Answer 1

If you want a bit shorter message (more user friendly sometimes?) than @tomasr suggests this will do:

$error[0].ToString() + $error[0].InvocationInfo.PositionMessage

You will get something like:

Cannot find path 'C:\TEMP\_100804_135716\missing' because it does not exist.
At C:\TEMP\_100804_135716\test.ps1:5 char:15
+   Get-ChildItem <<<<  missing

This technical info will be excluded:

+ CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (C:\TEMP\_100804_135716\missing:String) [Get-ChildItem], ItemNotFoundException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetChildItemCommand