Start-Transcript throws when $Transcript is a PSObject wrapped string #24740
Description
Prerequisites
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Steps to reproduce
First bug report I've filed for PowerShell ever, so go easy on me :-). Here's the PowerShell doc's Github issue I had raised that is now closed with the suggestion of filing a bug report.
I believe I've stumbled upon a bug with Start-Transcript when using one of the Start-Transcript examples when using preference variables in PowerShell 7.4.6 (on Windows and Linux) when using '~' in the path.
Using Start-Transcript after using the example #3 in the docs, I get an error:
Start-Transcript: Unable to cast object of type 'Systme.Management.Automation.PSObject' to type 'System.String'.However, if I use Start-Transcript $Trasncript, the command works and a transcript is created without issue. I do not get this error using the example with a UNC path or full local path. It seems to only happen when using '~' in both Windows and Linux.
Expected behavior
$sharepath = '~/PowerShell_Transcripts/'
$username = $env:USERNAME
$hostname = hostname
$version = $PSVersionTable.PSVersion.ToString()
$datetime = Get-Date -f 'yyyyMMddHHmmss'
$filename = "Transcript-${username}-${hostname}-${version}-${datetime}.txt"
$Transcript = Join-Path -Path $sharepath -ChildPath $filename
Start-Transcript # I should see "Transcript Started, output file $filename here"Actual behavior
$sharepath = '~/PowerShell_Transcripts/'
$username = $env:USERNAME
$hostname = hostname
$version = $PSVersionTable.PSVersion.ToString()
$datetime = Get-Date -f 'yyyyMMddHHmmss'
$filename = "Transcript-${username}-${hostname}-${version}-${datetime}.txt"
$Transcript = Join-Path -Path $sharepath -ChildPath $filename
Start-Transcript
Start-Transcript: Unable to cast object of type 'System.Management.Automation.PSObject' to type 'System.String'.Error details
Exception :
Type : System.InvalidCastException
TargetSite :
Name : ChkCast_Helper
DeclaringType : [System.Runtime.CompilerServices.CastHelpers]
MemberType : Method
Module : System.Private.CoreLib.dll
Message : Unable to cast object of type 'System.Management.Automation.PSObject' to type 'System.String'.
Source : System.Private.CoreLib
HResult : -2147467262
StackTrace :
at Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.StartTranscriptCommand.BeginProcessing()
at System.Management.Automation.Cmdlet.DoBeginProcessing()
at System.Management.Automation.CommandProcessorBase.DoBegin()
CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Start-Transcript], InvalidCastException
FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.InvalidCastException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.StartTranscriptCommand
InvocationInfo :
MyCommand : Start-Transcript
ScriptLineNumber : 1
OffsetInLine : 1
HistoryId : 13
Line : Start-Transcript
Statement : Start-Transcript
PositionMessage : At line:1 char:1
+ Start-Transcript
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
InvocationName : Start-Transcript
CommandOrigin : Internal
ScriptStackTrace : at <ScriptBlock>, <No file>: line 1Environment data
Name Value
---- -----
PSVersion 7.4.6
PSEdition Core
GitCommitId 7.4.6
OS Fedora Linux 41 (Workstation Edition)
Platform Unix
PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.3
SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion 3.0
Name Value
---- -----
PSVersion 7.4.6
PSEdition Core
GitCommitId 7.4.6
OS Microsoft Windows 10.0.26100
Platform Win32NT
PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.3
SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion 3.0Visuals
No response