Powershell: Support for -Version 2 option

[inno-kd]

Support for the "-Version 2" parameter

Hello, I hope that I'm right here.

I wrote a powershell script in Version 2 for controlling the CAD system Catia v5.
I updated to Powershell 5 and the script didn't work anymore.

It's still okay, if I use the "-Version 2" parameter.

How long is this option supported?

Thank you for your help.

Kind regards
Kevin

[kvprasoon]

Not related to PowerShell core. To answer your question, this is supported so fat till 2019, its possible where ever version 2.0 is enabled and -version is an option available for powerRhell.exe which is already done with the development, hence this option will be there till powershell.exe dies :-)

[vexx32]

Yeah, this isn't available to PowerShell core, and isn't even guaranteed in any version of windows PowerShell.

Many security-conscious folks widely uninstall PowerShell V2 from every machine it's still available on, which breaks this option.

I would recommend simply updating your script. :slightly_smiling_face:

[inno-kd]

Thank you both for your help.
@vexx32 the problem appears in the following lines:
$catia=new-object -com catia.application
$catia.documents.open($CatiaFile)

Powershell seems to have problems finding the 'open'-routine:

You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
At line:1 char:1
+ $catia.documents.open("C:\temp\test.CATPart")
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull

Opening documents in Office works this way, so I guess that Catia is the problem...

[vexx32]

Mmm you'll need to look back a bit farther. It can't find the method, because the .documents property is empty. Might want to check the contents of $catia and check the properties it has available, as that might have differences in the way the COM object manifests between versions of PowerShell. 🙂

[SeeminglyScience]

@inno-kd Try powershell -mta instead. PowerShell 2's default runspace has an apartment state of MTA, later versions moved to STA since that's compatible with more things.

[inno-kd]

Mmm you'll need to look back a bit farther. It can't find the method, because the .documents property is empty. Might want to check the contents of $catia and check the properties it has available, as that might have differences in the way the COM object manifests between versions of PowerShell.

@vexx32 Thank you for the hint. This is the content list of $catia:

$catia=new-object -com catia.application
$catia | gm

   TypeName: System.__ComObject#{7d2c8116-dc44-0000-0280-030ba6000000}

Name                          MemberType Definition
----                          ---------- ----------
BeginURConcatenation          Method     void BeginURConcatenation ()
CreateMail                    Method     Mail CreateMail ()
CreateSendTo                  Method     SendToService CreateSendTo ()
DisableNewUndoRedoTransaction Method     void DisableNewUndoRedoTransaction ()
EnableNewUndoRedoTransaction  Method     void EnableNewUndoRedoTransaction ()
FileSelectionBox              Method     string FileSelectionBox (string, string, CatFileSelectionMode)
GetItem                       Method     CATBaseDispatch GetItem (string)
GetWorkbenchId                Method     string GetWorkbenchId ()
Help                          Method     void Help (string)
InputBox                      Method     string InputBox (string, string, string, short, short, string, int)
MsgBox                        Method     short MsgBox (string, short, string, string, int)
Quit                          Method     void Quit ()
StartCommand                  Method     void StartCommand (string)
StartWorkbench                Method     void StartWorkbench (string)
StopURConcatenation           Method     void StopURConcatenation (string)
ActiveDocument                Property   Document ActiveDocument () {get}
ActivePrinter                 Property   Printer ActivePrinter () {get} {set}
ActiveWindow                  Property   Window ActiveWindow () {get}
Application                   Property   Application Application () {get}
Batch                         Property   Batch Batch () {get} {set}
CacheSize                     Property   int CacheSize () {get} {set}
Caption                       Property   string Caption () {get} {set}
DisplayFileAlerts             Property   bool DisplayFileAlerts () {get} {set}
Documents                     Property   Documents Documents () {get}
FileSearchOrder               Property   string FileSearchOrder () {get} {set}
FileSystem                    Property   FileSystem FileSystem () {get}
FullName                      Property   string FullName () {get}
Height                        Property   float Height () {get} {set}
HSOSynchronized               Property   bool HSOSynchronized () {get} {set}
Interactive                   Property   bool Interactive () {get} {set}
Left                          Property   float Left () {get} {set}
LocalCache                    Property   string LocalCache () {get} {set}
Name                          Property   string Name () {get} {set}
Parent                        Property   CATBaseDispatch Parent () {get}
Path                          Property   string Path () {get}
Printers                      Property   Printers Printers () {get}
RefreshDisplay                Property   bool RefreshDisplay () {get} {set}
SettingControllers            Property   SettingControllers SettingControllers () {get}
Settings                      Property   Settings Settings () {get}
StatusBar                     Property   string StatusBar () {get} {set}
SystemConfiguration           Property   SystemConfiguration SystemConfiguration () {get}
SystemService                 Property   SystemService SystemService () {get}
Top                           Property   float Top () {get} {set}
UndoRedoLock                  Property   bool UndoRedoLock () {get} {set}
Visible                       Property   bool Visible () {get} {set}
Width                         Property   float Width () {get} {set}
Windows                       Property   Windows Windows () {get}

@SeeminglyScience Thank you, too. I tried to start PS with the -mta parameter but it didnt work either.

Is there any other way to create the com-Object?

[vexx32]

It might be a casing issue, then? Your original code is looking at $catia.documents, and the property here is listed with capital D not lowercase. In most cases it won't make a difference, but this may be one of the times it does. :slightly_smiling_face:

[msftbot[bot]]

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