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external help file Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Utility.dll-Help.xml
Locale en-US
Module Name Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility
ms.date 01/18/2026
online version https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/format-custom?view=powershell-7.6&WT.mc_id=ps-gethelp
schema 2.0.0
aliases
fc
title Format-Custom

Format-Custom

SYNOPSIS

Uses a customized view to format the output.

SYNTAX

Format-Custom [[-Property] <Object[]>] [-Depth <Int32>] [-GroupBy <Object>] [-View <String>]
 [-ShowError] [-DisplayError] [-Force] [-Expand <String>] [-InputObject <PSObject>]
 [<CommonParameters>]

DESCRIPTION

The Format-Custom cmdlet formats the output of a command as defined in an alternate view. Format-Custom is designed to display views that are not just tables or just lists. You can use the views defined in PowerShell, or you can create your own views in a new format.ps1xml file and use the Update-FormatData cmdlet to add them to PowerShell.

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Format output with a custom view

Get-Command Start-Transcript | Format-Custom -View MyView

This command formats information about the Start-Transcript cmdlet in the format defined by the MyView view, a custom view created by the user. To run this command successfully, you must first create a new PS1XML file, define the MyView view, and then use the Update-FormatData command to add the PS1XML file to PowerShell.

Example 2: Format output with the default view

Get-Process Winlogon | Format-Custom

This command formats information about the Winlogon process in an alternate customized view. Because the command does not use the View parameter, Format-Custom uses a default custom view to format the data.

Example 3: Troubleshooting format errors

The following examples show of the results of adding the DisplayError or ShowError parameters with an expression.

PC /> Get-Date | Format-Custom DayOfWeek,{ $_ / $null } -DisplayError

class DateTime
{
  DayOfWeek = Friday
   $_ / $null  = #ERR
}


PC /> Get-Date | Format-Custom DayOfWeek,{ $_ / $null } -ShowError

class DateTime
{
  DayOfWeek = Friday
   $_ / $null  =
}

Failed to evaluate expression " $_ / $null ".
+ CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (12/21/2018 8:01:04 AM:PSObject) [], RuntimeException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PSPropertyExpressionError

PARAMETERS

-Depth

Specifies the number of columns in the display.

Type: System.Int32
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

-DisplayError

Displays errors at the command line. This parameter is rarely used, but can be used as a debugging aid when you are formatting expressions in a Format-Custom command, and the expressions do not appear to be working.

Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

-Expand

Formats the collection object, as well as the objects in the collection. This parameter is designed to format objects that support the System.Collections.ICollection interface. The default value is EnumOnly.

Valid values are:

  • EnumOnly: Displays the properties of the objects in the collection.
  • CoreOnly: Displays the properties of the collection object.
  • Both: Displays the properties of the collection object and the objects in the collection.
Type: System.String
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Accepted values: CoreOnly, EnumOnly, Both

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: EnumOnly
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

-Force

Directs the cmdlet to display all of the error information. Use with the DisplayError or ShowError parameters. By default, when an error object is written to the error or display streams, only some of the error information is displayed.

Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

-GroupBy

Formats the output in groups based on a shared property or value. Enter an expression or a property of the output. The GroupBy parameter expects that the objects are sorted. Use the Sort-Object cmdlet before using Format-Custom to group the objects.

The value of the GroupBy parameter can be a new calculated property. The calculated property can be a scriptblock or a hashtable. Valid key-value pairs are:

  • Name (or Label) - <string>
  • Expression - <string> or <scriptblock>
  • FormatString - <string>

For more information, see about_Calculated_Properties.

Type: System.Object
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

-InputObject

Specifies the objects to be formatted. Enter a variable that contains the objects or type a command or expression that gets the objects.

Type: System.Management.Automation.PSObject
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: True (ByValue)
Accept wildcard characters: False

-Property

Specifies the object properties that appear in the display and the order in which they appear. Wildcards are permitted.

If you omit this parameter, the properties that appear in the display depend on the object being displayed. The parameter name Property is optional. You cannot use the Property and View parameters in the same command.

The value of the Property parameter can be a new calculated property. The calculated property can be a scriptblock or a hash table. Valid key-value pairs are:

  • Expression - <string> or <scriptblock>
  • Depth - <int32>

For more information, see about_Calculated_Properties.

Type: System.Object[]
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: 0
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: True

-ShowError

Sends errors through the pipeline. This parameter is rarely used, but can be used as a debugging aid when you are formatting expressions in a Format-Custom command, and the expressions do not appear to be working.

Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

-View

Specifies the name of an alternate format or view. If you omit this parameter, Format-Custom uses a default custom view. You cannot use the Property and View parameters in the same command.

Type: System.String
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

CommonParameters

This cmdlet supports the common parameters: -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable, -InformationAction, -InformationVariable, -OutVariable, -OutBuffer, -PipelineVariable, -Verbose, -WarningAction, and -WarningVariable. For more information, see about_CommonParameters.

INPUTS

System.Management.Automation.PSObject

You can pipe any object to this cmdlet.

OUTPUTS

Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format

This cmdlet returns the format objects that represent the display.

NOTES

PowerShell includes the following aliases for Format-Custom:

  • All platforms:
    • fc

Format-Custom is designed to display views that are not just tables or just lists. To display an alternate table view, use Format-Table. To display an alternate list view, use Format-List.

The GroupBy parameter assumes that the objects are sorted. Before using Format-Custom to group the objects, use Sort-Object to sort them.

RELATED LINKS

about_Calculated_Properties

Format-Hex

Format-List

Format-Table

Format-Wide

Get-Process