Not able to use a function from another powershell file

Question

I have the main.ps1 file where I am importing another file $dirpath\new.ps1 as below:

Import-module $dirpath\new.ps1 -force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -WarningAction SilentlyContinue
try {
    $getval = invoke-command -cn $host -Credential $cred -ScriptBlock {
    param($name)    
    get-myfunc $name
    } -ArgumentList $name
    
} catch { 
    ...
    }

Both main.ps1 file and new.ps1 are existing under the same directory - $dirpath.

The new.ps1 looks as below:

Function global:get-myfunc{
PARAM(
    [Parameter(Mandatory=$true,Position=0)][STRING]$name
)
    write-host "$name"

}

Now, the main.ps1 file is throwing below error:

+     $getval = invoke-command -cn $host -Credential $cred -S ...
+     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (get-myfunc:String) [], CommandNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException

I have tried renaming new.ps1 as new.psm1 then importing module as Import-module $dirpath\new.psm1 but it is still failing with same error.

I am using poweshell 5

DocZerø · Accepted Answer · 2022-03-15T08:11:08.690

2

First issue

The new.ps1 file isn't a module, just a regular script, so you can't/shouldn't use Import-Module for that.

Modules are not simply scripts with a different extension. For more information, see:

If you want to keep the current setup, dot source the script by replacing the Import-Module line with:

. $dirpath\new.ps1

This will execute the script and make define the function in the current scope.

If the script is located in the same folder as the calling script, you can further simplify the statement by using $PSScriptRoot:

. $PSScriptRoot\new.ps1

Second issue

Invoke-Command means you're running a scriptblock on a different host, which implies that it uses a different scope. That's why it can't find the get-myfunc function.

The modifying your statement to:

Invoke-Command 
    -ComputerName $host `
    -Credential $cred `
    -ScriptBlock ${Function:get-myfunc} `
    -ArgumentList $name

For a more detailed explanation, see Run Local Functions Remotely in PowerShell.

edited Mar 15 '22 at 08:11

answered Mar 15 '22 at 07:49

DocZerø

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I have tried renaming `new.ps1` as `new.psm1` then importing module as `Import-module $dirpath\new.psm1` but it is still failing – meallhour Mar 15 '22 at 07:51
Please read the documentation regarding modules. Modules are not just scripts with a different extension. For functions to be available, you have to export them. – DocZerø Mar 15 '22 at 07:53
got it thanks. can you please let me know if it is correct way to export? `Export-ModuleMember -Function get-myfunc` – meallhour Mar 15 '22 at 07:56
I am now using `. $dirpath\new.ps1` but `main.ps1 file` is still failing for same reason. – meallhour Mar 15 '22 at 07:58
I added links to the documentation that describe how to implement modules. – DocZerø Mar 15 '22 at 07:58

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 15 '22 at 08:49

That Won't work, because you are importing that Module into your local machine. But, the below command is executing in remote machine. That means you need install that module in remote machine and then you can use that module in the remote machine.

$getval = invoke-command -cn $host -Credential $cred -ScriptBlock { param($name)
get-myfunc $name

Please follow below link for the solution

Not able to use a function from another powershell file

2 Answers2

First issue

Second issue