Custom error messages in PowerShell - Interactive Code Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the code to display a custom error message when a file is not found.

PowerShell

try {
    Get-Content -Path 'nonexistent.txt'
} catch {
    Write-Host [1]
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

AError occurred

BFile not found!

C"File not found! Please check the path."

D"An error happened"

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Forgetting quotes around the message

Using a variable name instead of a string

The Write-Host command needs a string in quotes to display the custom error message.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the code to throw a custom error with the message 'Invalid input detected'.

PowerShell

if ($input -eq $null) {
    [1] 'Invalid input detected'
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

AWrite-Error

BThrow

CWrite-Host

DExit

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using Write-Error instead of Throw for terminating errors

Using Write-Host which only prints text

The Throw statement is used to generate a terminating error with a custom message.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the code to correctly catch and display a custom error message.

PowerShell

try {
    Remove-Item -Path 'C:\temp\file.txt'
} catch {
    Write-Host [1]
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A$_.Exception.Message

B$_.Message

C$error.Message

D$error[0].Message

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using $error which is a global array, not the current error

Using $_.Message which does not exist

Inside catch, $_ represents the ErrorRecord object. $_.Exception.Message gives the error message.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to create a function that throws a custom error with a given message.

PowerShell

function Throw-CustomError {
    param([string]$msg)
    [1] [2]
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

AThrow

B"$msg"

C$msg

DWrite-Error

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Putting quotes around $msg which makes it a literal string '$msg'

Using Write-Error instead of Throw for terminating errors

Throw is used to raise an error, and $msg passes the message string parameter.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to catch an error and throw a new custom error with a modified message.

PowerShell

try {
    Get-Item -Path 'C:\invalid\file.txt'
} catch {
    $msg = $_.[1]
    $newMsg = "Custom error: $msg"
    [2] [3]
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

AException.Message

BThrow

C$newMsg

DMessage

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using $_.Message instead of $_.Exception.Message for detailed error

Using Write-Error instead of Throw for terminating errors

Passing the variable name as a string instead of the variable value

Use $_.Exception.Message to get the original error message, then Throw the new message stored in $newMsg.