PowerShell ISE Addon: Get-History GUI

Ok, that is a weird blog post title. I could not think of a better one for this post. Anyway, coming to the subject and as I mentioned earlier, I have several PowerShell ISE addons that I use on a regular basis. I kept writing them whenever I found the need. I have been polishing these addons for sharing here. So, here is another one in the ISE addons series.

If you have used PowerShell console or even traditional console (cmd.exe), you might have used the F7 functionality of the console host. This, when used, displays a nice little pop-up menu with the command history. You can just scroll through the list and select an item to execute it again at the console. This will be very useful when you have very long command history and using arrows keys won’t really help. This is how that popup looks:

PowerShell console - F7

However, this functionality is not available in PowerShell ISE. So, here is a simple addon that shows command history in a WinForms data grid and you can double click on the desired item to copy the CommandLine text to PowerShell ISE command pane.

<span style="color: #00008b;">function</span> <span style="color: #8a2be2;">Show-ISEHistoryDialog</span><span style="color: #000000;">{</span>
<span style="color: #006400;">#region form code</span>
<span style="color: #ff4500;">$historyFormCode</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">=</span> <span style="color: #8b0000;">@'
using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace ISEGetHistory
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            this.Close();
        }
    }

    partial class Form1
    {
        ///
        /// Required designer variable.
        ///
        private System.ComponentModel.IContainer components = null;

        ///
        /// Clean up any resources being used.
        ///
        ///true if managed resources should be disposed; otherwise, false.
        protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
        {
            if (disposing &amp;&amp; (components != null))
            {
                components.Dispose();
            }
            base.Dispose(disposing);
        }

        #region Windows Form Designer generated code

        ///
        /// Required method for Designer support - do not modify
        /// the contents of this method with the code editor.
        ///
        private void InitializeComponent()
        {
            this.dataGridView1 = new System.Windows.Forms.DataGridView();
            this.button1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
            ((System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize)(this.dataGridView1)).BeginInit();
            this.SuspendLayout();
            //
            // dataGridView1
            //
            this.dataGridView1.AllowUserToAddRows = false;
            this.dataGridView1.AllowUserToDeleteRows = false;
            this.dataGridView1.AllowUserToResizeColumns = true;
            this.dataGridView1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(12, 12);
            this.dataGridView1.Name = "dataGridView1";
            this.dataGridView1.ReadOnly = true;
            this.dataGridView1.SelectionMode = System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewSelectionMode.FullRowSelect;
            this.dataGridView1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(525, 214);
            this.dataGridView1.TabIndex = 0;
            this.dataGridView1.MultiSelect = false;
            //
            // button1
            //
            this.button1.DialogResult = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.Cancel;
            this.button1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(231, 232);
            this.button1.Name = "button1";
            this.button1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 23);
            this.button1.TabIndex = 1;
            this.button1.Text = "Close";
            this.button1.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
            this.button1.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.button1_Click);
            //
            // Form1
            //
            this.AutoScaleDimensions = new System.Drawing.SizeF(6F, 13F);
            this.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font;
            this.CancelButton = this.button1;
            this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(545, 263);
            this.ControlBox = false;
            this.Controls.Add(this.button1);
            this.Controls.Add(this.dataGridView1);
            this.FormBorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.FormBorderStyle.FixedSingle;
            this.MaximizeBox = false;
            this.MinimizeBox = false;
            this.Name = "Form1";
            this.ShowIcon = false;
            this.ShowInTaskbar = false;
            this.Text = "ISEGet-History";
            this.TopMost = true;
            ((System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize)(this.dataGridView1)).EndInit();
            this.ResumeLayout(false);

        }

        #endregion

        private System.Windows.Forms.DataGridView dataGridView1;
        private System.Windows.Forms.Button button1;
    }
}
'@</span>
<span style="color: #006400;">#endregion</span>            

<span style="color: #006400;">#region Main UI display</span>
<span style="color: #00008b;">if</span> <span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">-not</span> <span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #8b0000;">'ISEGetHistory.Form1'</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">-as</span> <span style="color: #008080;">[System.Type]</span><span style="color: #000000;">)</span><span style="color: #000000;">)</span> <span style="color: #000000;">{</span>
 <span style="color: #0000ff;">Add-Type</span> <span style="color: #000080;">-ReferencedAssemblies</span> <span style="color: #8b0000;">'System.Windows.Forms'</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">,</span><span style="color: #8b0000;">'System.Drawing'</span> <span style="color: #000080;">-TypeDefinition</span> <span style="color: #ff4500;">$historyFormCode</span>
<span style="color: #000000;">}</span>            

<span style="color: #006400;">#Create an instance of the form</span>
<span style="color: #ff4500;">$iseHistoryDialog</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">=</span> <span style="color: #0000ff;">New-Object</span> <span style="color: #000080;">-TypeName</span> <span style="color: #8a2be2;">ISEGetHistory.Form1</span>            

<span style="color: #006400;">#Retrieve the DataGridView Control</span>
<span style="color: #ff4500;">$dataGridView</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">=</span> <span style="color: #ff4500;">$iseHistoryDialog</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">Controls</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">[</span><span style="color: #8b0000;">"dataGridView1"</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">]</span>
<span style="color: #ff4500;">$dataGridView</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">AutoSizeColumnsMode</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">=</span> <span style="color: #008080;">[System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode]</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">::</span><span style="color: #000000;">Fill</span>            

<span style="color: #006400;">#Create and add an eventhandler for the data grid view double-click</span>
<span style="color: #ff4500;">$dbClickEventHandler</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">=</span> <span style="color: #000000;">{</span>
 <span style="color: #ff4500;">$selectedRowIndex</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">=</span> <span style="color: #ff4500;">$dataGridView</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">CurrentRow</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">Index</span>
 <span style="color: #ff4500;">$cmdline</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">=</span> <span style="color: #ff4500;">$script:historyInfo</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">[</span><span style="color: #ff4500;">$selectedRowIndex</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">]</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">CommandLine</span>
 <span style="color: #ff4500;">$iseHistoryDialog</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">DialogResult</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">=</span> <span style="color: #008080;">[System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult]</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">::</span><span style="color: #000000;">OK</span>
<span style="color: #000000;">}</span>
<span style="color: #ff4500;">$dataGridView</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">add_CellDoubleClick</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #ff4500;">$dbClickEventHandler</span><span style="color: #000000;">)</span>            

<span style="color: #006400;">#Define the array list and add all history items</span>
<span style="color: #ff4500;">$array</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">=</span> <span style="color: #0000ff;">New-Object</span> <span style="color: #8a2be2;">System.Collections.ArrayList</span>
<span style="color: #00008b;">if</span> <span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #ff4500;">$script:historyInfo</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">=</span> <span style="color: #0000ff;">Get-history</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">|</span> <span style="color: #0000ff;">Select</span> <span style="color: #8a2be2;">Id</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">,</span><span style="color: #8a2be2;">commandLine</span><span style="color: #000000;">)</span> <span style="color: #000000;">{</span>
    <span style="color: #ff4500;">$array</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">AddRange</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #ff4500;">$script:historyInfo</span><span style="color: #000000;">)</span>
<span style="color: #000000;">}</span> <span style="color: #00008b;">else</span> <span style="color: #000000;">{</span>
    <span style="color: #008080;">[System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox]</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">::</span><span style="color: #000000;">Show</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #8b0000;">"Nothing in the history"</span><span style="color: #000000;">)</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">|</span> <span style="color: #0000ff;">Out-Null</span>
    <span style="color: #00008b;">return</span>
<span style="color: #000000;">}</span>            

<span style="color: #006400;">#add the data source to data grid view</span>
<span style="color: #ff4500;">$dataGridView</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">DataSource</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">=</span> <span style="color: #ff4500;">$array</span>            

<span style="color: #006400;">#Show the dialog</span>
<span style="color: #ff4500;">$result</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">=</span> <span style="color: #ff4500;">$iseHistoryDialog</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">ShowDialog</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #000000;">)</span>
<span style="color: #00008b;">if</span> <span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #ff4500;">$result</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">-eq</span> <span style="color: #008080;">[System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult]</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">::</span><span style="color: #000000;">OK</span><span style="color: #000000;">)</span> <span style="color: #000000;">{</span>
 <span style="color: #00008b;">return</span> <span style="color: #ff4500;">$cmdLine</span>
<span style="color: #000000;">}</span> <span style="color: #00008b;">else</span> <span style="color: #000000;">{</span>
 <span style="color: #00008b;">return</span> <span style="color: #ff4500;">$false</span>
<span style="color: #000000;">}</span>
<span style="color: #000000;">}</span>            

<span style="color: #00008b;">if</span> <span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #ff4500;">$selectedCmdLine</span> <span style="color: #a9a9a9;">=</span> <span style="color: #0000ff;">Show-ISEHistoryDialog</span><span style="color: #000000;">)</span> <span style="color: #000000;">{</span>
    <span style="color: #006400;">#Let us first clear the CommandPane to make sure there is no stale text</span>
    <span style="color: #ff4500;">$psise</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">CurrentPowerShellTab</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">CommandPane</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">Clear</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #000000;">)</span>            

    <span style="color: #006400;">#Now, Insert the selected text</span>
    <span style="color: #ff4500;">$psise</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">CurrentPowerShellTab</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">CommandPane</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">InsertText</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #ff4500;">$selectedCmdLine</span><span style="color: #000000;">)</span>            

    <span style="color: #006400;">#And, ensure that we focus the commandPane</span>
    <span style="color: #ff4500;">$psise</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">CurrentPowerShellTab</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">CommandPane</span><span style="color: #a9a9a9;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;">Focus</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #000000;">)</span>
<span style="color: #000000;">}</span>

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function Show-ISEHistoryDialog{

#region form code

$historyFormCode = @'

using System;

using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace ISEGetHistory

{

public partial class Form1 : Form

{

public Form1()

{

InitializeComponent();

}

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{

this.Close();

}

partial class Form1

{

///

/// Required designer variable.

///

private System.ComponentModel.IContainer components = null;

///

/// Clean up any resources being used.

///

///true if managed resources should be disposed; otherwise, false.

protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)

{

if (disposing && (components != null))

{

components.Dispose();

}

base.Dispose(disposing);

}

#region Windows Form Designer generated code

///

/// Required method for Designer support - do not modify

/// the contents of this method with the code editor.

///

private void InitializeComponent()

{

this.dataGridView1 = new System.Windows.Forms.DataGridView();

this.button1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();

((System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize)(this.dataGridView1)).BeginInit();

this.SuspendLayout();

// dataGridView1

this.dataGridView1.AllowUserToAddRows = false;

this.dataGridView1.AllowUserToDeleteRows = false;

this.dataGridView1.AllowUserToResizeColumns = true;

this.dataGridView1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(12, 12);

this.dataGridView1.Name = "dataGridView1";

this.dataGridView1.ReadOnly = true;

this.dataGridView1.SelectionMode = System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewSelectionMode.FullRowSelect;

this.dataGridView1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(525, 214);

this.dataGridView1.TabIndex = 0;

this.dataGridView1.MultiSelect = false;

// button1

this.button1.DialogResult = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.Cancel;

this.button1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(231, 232);

this.button1.Name = "button1";

this.button1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 23);

this.button1.TabIndex = 1;

this.button1.Text = "Close";

this.button1.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;

this.button1.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.button1_Click);

// Form1

this.AutoScaleDimensions = new System.Drawing.SizeF(6F, 13F);

this.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font;

this.CancelButton = this.button1;

this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(545, 263);

this.ControlBox = false;

this.Controls.Add(this.button1);

this.Controls.Add(this.dataGridView1);

this.FormBorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.FormBorderStyle.FixedSingle;

this.MaximizeBox = false;

this.MinimizeBox = false;

this.Name = "Form1";

this.ShowIcon = false;

this.ShowInTaskbar = false;

this.Text = "ISEGet-History";

this.TopMost = true;

((System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize)(this.dataGridView1)).EndInit();

this.ResumeLayout(false);

}

#endregion

private System.Windows.Forms.DataGridView dataGridView1;

private System.Windows.Forms.Button button1;

}

'@

#endregion

#region Main UI display

if (-not ('ISEGetHistory.Form1' -as [System.Type])) {

Add-Type -ReferencedAssemblies 'System.Windows.Forms','System.Drawing' -TypeDefinition $historyFormCode

}

#Create an instance of the form

$iseHistoryDialog = New-Object -TypeName ISEGetHistory.Form1

#Retrieve the DataGridView Control

$dataGridView = $iseHistoryDialog.Controls["dataGridView1"]

$dataGridView.AutoSizeColumnsMode = [System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode]::Fill

#Create and add an eventhandler for the data grid view double-click

$dbClickEventHandler = {

$selectedRowIndex = $dataGridView.CurrentRow.Index

$cmdline = $script:historyInfo[$selectedRowIndex].CommandLine

$iseHistoryDialog.DialogResult = [System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult]::OK

}

$dataGridView.add_CellDoubleClick($dbClickEventHandler)

#Define the array list and add all history items

$array = New-Object System.Collections.ArrayList

if ($script:historyInfo = Get-history | Select Id,commandLine) {

$array.AddRange($script:historyInfo)

} else {

[System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox]::Show("Nothing in the history") | Out-Null

return

}

#add the data source to data grid view

$dataGridView.DataSource = $array

#Show the dialog

$result = $iseHistoryDialog.ShowDialog()

if ($result -eq [System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult]::OK) {

return $cmdLine

} else {

return $false

}

if ($selectedCmdLine = Show-ISEHistoryDialog) {

#Let us first clear the CommandPane to make sure there is no stale text

$psise.CurrentPowerShellTab.CommandPane.Clear()

#Now, Insert the selected text

$psise.CurrentPowerShellTab.CommandPane.InsertText($selectedCmdLine)

#And, ensure that we focus the commandPane

$psise.CurrentPowerShellTab.CommandPane.Focus()

}

Now, I just used my ISE Addon menu generator to add this scriptblock to ISE as an addon.

New Menu Item

This is it. Now, I can press F7 in PowerShell ISE and get a list of all commands in the command history.

PowerShell ISE - F7

Now, I can just select an item in that list and double-click. It will appear at the PowerShell ISE command pane. I just need to press enter. 🙂

ISE CommandPane

Ravikanth Chaganti

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PowerShell ISE Addon: Get-History GUI

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