Managing PSStyle's File Extension Dictionary

Documentation on PowerShell's experimental PSANSIRenderingFileInfo feature is understandably limited at the moment.

This experiment was added in PowerShell 7.2. This feature adds the $PSStyle.FileInfo member and enables coloring of specific file types.

• $PSStyle.FileInfo.Directory - Built-in member to specify color for directories
• $PSStyle.FileInfo.SymbolicLink - Built-in member to specify color for symbolic links
• $PSStyle.FileInfo.Executable - Built-in member to specify color for executables.
• $PSStyle.FileInfo.Extension - Use this member to define colors for different file extensions. The Extension member pre-includes extensions for archive and PowerShell files.

Using Experimental Features in PowerShell | Microsoft Docs

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Methods

After some trial-and-error in a console, I found several methods offered by [System.Management.Automation.PSStyle+FileExtensionDictionary] that stand out:

Add()

Creates an extension with an associated decoration and appends it to the dictionary for the current session. Add accepts two parameters, both of which are also stringently validated:

• [System.String] $extension

  The file extension, which must start with a period.

• [System.String] $decoration

  The string containing ANSI escape sequence(s) to apply, which cannot contain any printable content (you must use double quotes rather than single quotes as a side-effect of this).

Usage Transcript

removed@workstation ~ $: $PSStyle.FileInfo Directory : `e[44;1m SymbolicLink : `e[36;1m Executable : `e[32;1m Extension : .zip = "`e[31;1m" .tgz = "`e[31;1m" .gz = "`e[31;1m" .tar = "`e[31;1m" .nupkg = "`e[31;1m" .cab = "`e[31;1m" .7z = "`e[31;1m" .ps1 = "`e[33;1m" .psd1 = "`e[33;1m" .psm1 = "`e[33;1m" .ps1xml = "`e[33;1m" removed@workstation ~ $: $PSStyle.FileInfo.Extension.Add('.xz', "`e[31;1m") removed@workstation ~ $: $PSStyle.FileInfo Directory : `e[44;1m SymbolicLink : `e[36;1m Executable : `e[32;1m Extension : .zip = "`e[31;1m" .tgz = "`e[31;1m" .gz = "`e[31;1m" .tar = "`e[31;1m" .nupkg = "`e[31;1m" .cab = "`e[31;1m" .7z = "`e[31;1m" .ps1 = "`e[33;1m" .psd1 = "`e[33;1m" .psm1 = "`e[33;1m" .ps1xml = "`e[33;1m" .xz = "`e[31;1m" removed@workstation ~ $:

Remove()

Removes an extension and its associated decoration from the dictionary for the current session. Remove accepts one parameter:

• [System.String] $extension

  The file extension, which must start with a period.

Usage Transcript

removed@workstation ~ $: $PSStyle.FileInfo.Extension.Remove('.cab') removed@workstation ~ $: $PSStyle.FileInfo Directory : `e[44;1m SymbolicLink : `e[36;1m Executable : `e[32;1m Extension : .zip = "`e[31;1m" .tgz = "`e[31;1m" .gz = "`e[31;1m" .tar = "`e[31;1m" .nupkg = "`e[31;1m" .7z = "`e[31;1m" .ps1 = "`e[33;1m" .psd1 = "`e[33;1m" .psm1 = "`e[33;1m" .ps1xml = "`e[33;1m" removed@workstation ~ $:

Clear()

Wipes clean the dictionary containing extensions and their decorations for the current session. Accessible through $PSStyle.FileInfo.Extension.Clear()

Usage Transcript

removed@workstation ~ $: $PSStyle.FileInfo.Extension.Clear() removed@workstation ~ $: $PSStyle.FileInfo Directory : `e[44;1m SymbolicLink : `e[36;1m Executable : `e[32;1m Extension : removed@workstation ~ $:

Miscellany

By the way, you do need to execute Enable-ExperimentalFeature PSANSIRenderingFileInfo to make use of any of this. I know I'm stating the obvious, but it never hurts to be thorough!

Magic Spear