If I do the following in a PowerShell script:
$range = 1..100
ForEach ($_ in $range) {
if ($_ % 7 -ne 0 ) { continue; }
Write-Host "$($_) is a multiple of 7"
}
I get the expected output of:
7 is a multiple of 7
14 is a multiple of 7
21 is a multiple of 7
28 is a multiple of 7
35 is a multiple of 7
42 is a multiple of 7
49 is a multiple of 7
56 is a multiple of 7
63 is a multiple of 7
70 is a multiple of 7
77 is a multiple of 7
84 is a multiple of 7
91 is a multiple of 7
98 is a multiple of 7
However, if I use a pipeline and ForEach-Object
, continue
seems to break out of the pipeline loop.
1..100 | ForEach-Object {
if ($_ % 7 -ne 0 ) { continue; }
Write-Host "$($_) is a multiple of 7"
}
Can I get a continue
-like behavior while still doing ForEach-Object, so I don't have to breakup my pipeline?
Simply use the return
instead of the continue
. This return
returns from the script block which is invoked by ForEach-Object
on a particular iteration, thus, it simulates the continue
in a loop.
1..100 | ForEach-Object {
if ($_ % 7 -ne 0 ) { return }
Write-Host "$($_) is a multiple of 7"
}
There is a gotcha to be kept in mind when refactoring. Sometimes one wants to convert a foreach
statement block into a pipeline with a ForEach-Object
cmdlet (it even has the alias foreach
that helps to make this conversion easy and make mistakes easy, too). All continue
s should be replaced with return
.
P.S.: Unfortunately, it is not that easy to simulate break
in ForEach-Object
.