Custom objects (PSCustomObject) in PowerShell - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a PSCustomObject in PowerShell?

A PSCustomObject is a way to create custom objects with properties and values in PowerShell. It helps organize data like a simple table or record.

beginner

How do you create a PSCustomObject with properties Name and Age?

Use the syntax: <br>$obj = [PSCustomObject]@{Name='Alice'; Age=30}<br>This creates an object with two properties: Name and Age.

intermediate

Why use PSCustomObject instead of a hashtable?

PSCustomObject lets you create objects that behave like real objects with properties, making it easier to work with in scripts and output. Hashtables are just key-value pairs without object behavior.

intermediate

How can you add a new property to an existing PSCustomObject?

You can add a property by using Add-Member cmdlet, for example:<br>$obj | Add-Member -NotePropertyName 'City' -NotePropertyValue 'Seattle'

beginner

What will this script output?<br>$person = [PSCustomObject]@{Name='Bob'; Age=25}<br>$person.Age = 26<br>$person

It outputs the object with updated Age property:<br>Name Age<br>---- ---<br>Bob 26<br>This shows you can change property values after creation.

Which syntax correctly creates a PSCustomObject with a property 'Color' set to 'Red'?

A $obj = @{Color='Red'}

B $obj = [Object]@{Color='Red'}

C $obj = New-Object Color='Red'

D $obj = [PSCustomObject]@{Color='Red'}

Option D uses the correct syntax to create a PSCustomObject with the property Color set to Red.

How do you add a new property 'Country' with value 'USA' to an existing PSCustomObject $obj?

A $obj.Country = 'USA'

B $obj.Add('Country','USA')

C $obj | Add-Member -NotePropertyName 'Country' -NotePropertyValue 'USA'

D You cannot add properties after creation

Both A (direct property assignment) and C (using the Add-Member cmdlet) correctly add a new property to a PSCustomObject.

What type of data structure is a PSCustomObject in PowerShell?

A A custom object with properties

B A key-value pair hashtable

C A simple string

D An array of values

PSCustomObject is a custom object that holds properties and values, not just key-value pairs.

Which command updates the 'Age' property of a PSCustomObject $person to 40?

A $person = @{Age=40}

B $person.Age = 40

C $person.Add('Age',40)

D $person | Set-Member -Name Age -Value 40

You can directly assign a new value to an existing property using $person.Age = 40.

What happens if you try to create a PSCustomObject without using [PSCustomObject] type accelerator?

A You get an empty object

B PowerShell throws an error

C You get a hashtable, not an object

D It creates a PSCustomObject anyway

Without [PSCustomObject], the syntax creates a hashtable, not a custom object.

Explain how to create a PSCustomObject with three properties and how to access one of those properties.

Think about how you write a hashtable and then convert it to an object.

Describe how to add a new property to an existing PSCustomObject and why this might be useful.

Remember you can modify objects after creation with a special cmdlet.