At some point in the 5.0 time period, Update-Help installed About topic files in the en-US directory for the PSWorkflow module with .txt (not .help.txt) file name extensions.

e.g. about_Foreach-Parallel.txt

Later, this was fixed and Update-Help installed the same help files in the same directory with the (correct) ".help.txt" file name extension.

e.g. about_Foreach-Parallel.help.txt

Now, the PSWorkflow\en-US directory has 9 pairs of files that are identical except for the file name extension.

aboutActivityCommonParameters.help.txt
aboutActivityCommonParameters.txt
aboutCheckpoint-Workflow.help.txt
aboutCheckpoint-Workflow.txt
aboutForeach-Parallel.help.txt
aboutForeach-Parallel.txt
aboutInlineScript.help.txt
aboutInlineScript.txt
aboutParallel.help.txt
aboutParallel.txt
aboutSequence.help.txt
aboutSequence.txt
aboutSuspend-Workflow.help.txt
aboutSuspend-Workflow.txt
aboutWorkflowCommonParameters.help.txt
aboutWorkflowCommonParameters.txt
aboutWorkflows.help.txt
aboutWorkflows.txt

Get-Help should ignore the .txt files (must have changed in 4.0), but it does not. Instead, it finds both .txt and .help.txt. So, when you run Get-Help, instead of displaying help for the topic, it lists the duplicate base names.

PS C:\ps-test> Get-Help about_Foreach-Parallel

Name Category Module Synopsis

aboutForEach-Parallel HelpFile Describes the ForEach
aboutForeach-Parallel HelpFile Describes the ForEach

I'm not sure why Get-Help is recognizing About.txt files.

But, we had a similar problem in a module when we shipped a file with corrected capitalization in the base name.

aboutFileName.help.txt
aboutfilename.help.txt

We might want to tweak Get-Help so that when it detects an exact duplicate base name, it displays the content in the newest file.

Also, in modules, Get-Help should display the help only for the version of the module that it's processing. That would allow module authors to update help topic names without causing unintended duplicates.

Votes from Connect: 391

Original Date Submitted: 5/21/2015 12:20:32 AM

Description:
Contact Information
Handle: June Blender
Site Name: PowerShell
Feedback ID: 1351032

Problem Description:
PowerShell users often read .NET reference pages in MSDN. It's all but required, because Get-Help doesn't describe object members. However, in the Examples section of .NET reference pages, there are no PowerShell examples; not even a PowerShell tab.

MSDN says they cannot demonstrate a demand for PowerShell examples. I'd like to use this feature request to demonstrate the demand.

Product Studio item created by Connect Synchronizer due to creation of feedback ID 1351032 (http://connect.microsoft.com/PowerShell/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=1351032).

Repro Steps:

Internal BugId: 14500

I've tried several ways to capture the PowerShell documentation into a single PDF file which I find much more convenient instead of clicking around a Microsoft site. Acrobat just locks up. I've never seen it behave this way before.

It places PowerShell out of reach for those of us trying to learn new tools.

Please try it yourself. Acrobat XI Pro.
- Use the browser plugin "create PDF from webpage"
- Or start with Acrobat "create PDF"
- Or Browser / Save as html complete

Print to PDF is inadequate because webpage links are missing and on the PowerShell pages, the side-bar links are missing.
- Acrobat Printer
- Microsoft Print to PDF

I know that there are many cmdlets help documentation not completed yet. But, it's a pain when trying to use the "Update-help" cmdlet and see it error-out due to an unfinished module help.

I think it should be a good idea to display the error and continue (or try) update the rest of our installed module(s).

In my case, I'm getting an error update the help on the new SQLServer module. But this is now completing the update for the rest of my existing module.

If this update is done alphabetically then the update is stopping at the SQLServer module and the rest could be ignored.

So, Get-Help cmdlet beside displaying error (and stopping), should continue updating the rest of the help doc.

Or, instead of an error, make it a warning to continue update.

sample error displayed:
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Update-Help -Force;
Update-Help : Failed to update Help for the module(s) 'Microsoft.PowerShell.Operation.Validation' with UI culture(s)
{en-US} : Unable to retrieve the HelpInfo XML file for UI culture en-US. Make sure the HelpInfoUri property in the
module manifest is valid or check your network connection and then try the command again.
At line:1 char:1
+ Update-Help -Force;
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+ CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (:) [Update-Help], Exception

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnableToRetrieveHelpInfoXml,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.UpdateHelpCommand

Update-Help : Failed to update Help for the module(s) 'SqlServer' with UI culture(s) {en-US} : The value of the
HelpInfoUri key in the module manifest must resolve to a container or root URL on a website where the help files are
stored. The HelpInfoUri 'https://technet.microsoft.com/library/cc732148.aspx' does not resolve to a container.
At line:1 char:1
+ Update-Help -Force;
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+ CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [Update-Help], Exception

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidHelpInfoUri,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.UpdateHelpCommand

Thanks,
Maximo Trinidad