Using Strict Mode with Set-PSDebug

If you've used Perl in the past, then you're probably familiar with "use strict" (if you've been using Perl without "use strict", then head over here Note: the scoping issues don't apply to PowerShell).

By default, PowerShell is very accommodating. If you tell it to echo the value of $chouderhead, it will happily echo... NOTHING! There is no variable called $chouderhead, you misspelled $chowderhead. PowerShell doesn't like to make waves, though, so it happily creates a new variable named $chouderhead and starts using it. This can lead to very hard-to-debug issues.

You can fix this By adding this line to your profile (or just typing it in at the prompt):

PS> Set-PSDebug -strict

Now if you try to use a variable that hasn't yet had a value assigned to it, you'll get an error like this:

PS> $chouderhead

The variable '$chouderhead' cannot be retrieved because it has not been set.

At line:1 char:13

+ $chouderhead <<<<

+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (chouderhead:Token) [], RuntimeException

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : VariableIsUndefined

The error is annoying, but if you've ever wasted a half an hour wondering why your script isn't outputting what you thought it would, only to realize that on line 304 you accidentally used an 'm' instead of an 'n' in your variable name and how could I miss that, it's so stupid, and now I missed dinner, and my back hurts from crouching over my keyboard staring at the screen for too long and curse the day I was born! Why, oh, why didn't I just add 'PSDebug -strict' to my profile? Why?

But I digress...