Concatenate Cmdlet output with string

Question

How do I output to the host the combination of the output of a command and a literal string on a single line?

I'm trying to combine: (Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint X:).EncryptionPercentage (which returns 12) with the literal '% complete' as follows:

(Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint X:).EncryptionPercentage + '% complete'

In return I expect to get:

12% complete

Instead I get the error Cannot convert value "% complete" to type "System.Single". Error: "Input string was not in a correct format."

How can I do this on a single line? I've searched for a solution but apparently don't know how to phrase this question because I keep getting information on how to concatenate strings or variables, but not command output. Examples: PowerShell: concatenate strings with variables after cmdlet

(Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint X:).EncryptionPercentage.ToString() + '% complete' or '{0} % Complete' -f (Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint X:).EncryptionPercentage — TessellatingHeckler
– TessellatingHeckler, Commented Jul 10, 2017 at 19:13

BenH · Accepted Answer · 2017-07-10 19:34:22Z

11

With PowerShell when you use + it will try to cast the second argument to the type of the first. EncryptionPercentage is a Single so it will try to cast '% complete' to an Single which throws an error.

To get around this, you can either cast EncryptionPercentage to string preemptively.

 [string](Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint X:).EncryptionPercentage + '% complete'

Or you can do string interpolation inside double quotes, using a subexpression $()

"$((Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint X:).EncryptionPercentage)% complete"

As TessellatingHeckler points out, the .ToString() method will also convert to a String

(Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint X:).EncryptionPercentage.ToString() + '% complete'

And you can use the format operator -f to insert values into a string. Where {} is the index of the comma separated arguments after -f

'{0} % Complete' -f (Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint X:).EncryptionPercentage

edited Jul 10, 2017 at 19:34

answered Jul 10, 2017 at 19:11

BenH

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Comments

I say Reinstate Monica · Accepted Answer · 2017-07-10 19:12:56Z

0

As hinted in the error message, PowerShell is trying to convert (cast) '% complete' to the type System.Single. That's because the output of your command is a number.

To get the output you're asking for, use [string] before the command to cast the number output into a string. Then both elements of the command will be treated as a string:

[string](Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint X:).EncryptionPercentage + '% complete'

answered Jul 10, 2017 at 19:12

I say Reinstate Monica

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