Note: This is technically a breaking change; if it is deemed too risky, keep it on file for PowerShell vNext.

Currently, output-to-file cmdlets such as Out-File and Set-Content do support wildcard expression passed to their -Path parameter.

This behavior is problematic in two respects:

• Overwriting existing files should be a very deliberate act; the use of wildcards to target whatever happens to match contradicts that.

• The utility of targeting an output file implicitly by wildcard is very limited:

  • If no existing file matches the wildcard expressions, an error occurs.
  • If more than one file matches the wildcard expression, the behavior is inconsistent:
    • With some cmdlets, an error occurs (e.g., Out-File, Export-FormatData
      • In other words: only if the wildcard expression happens to match one existing file does the operation succeed - at which point the clearer and safer choice is to target that file with a literal path.
    • Other cmdlets (e.g.Set-Content) output to all matching files, which is also problematic.

Ergo: output-to-file cmdlets should treat -Path as an alias of -LiteralPath (similar to how -Path in New-Item is effectively -LiteralPath).

Environment data

Written as of:

PowerShell Core v6.0.2