Run a C# .cs file from a PowerShell Script

Question

I have a PowerShell V2 script that moves some files around and installs some services. However I would like to call and run a .cs file about halfway through the PowerShell Script. I have found plenty of articles on calling PowerShell from C# but none the opposite way around. I would just like the C# file to run once then continue running the PowerShell script.

If anyone could point me in the direction of an article explaining how to accomplish this or if you know yourself and could help it would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

I saw no reason why we couldn't run a .cs file directly from PowerShell, so I took Keith's snip and added the missing Get-Content parts to do literally what the OP asks for. No need to compile your code, just edit the -Path argument to point to your .cs file.

$source = Get-Content -Path "A:\basic.cs" Add-Type -TypeDefinition "$source"  # Call a static method [BasicTest]::Add(4, 3)  # Create an instance and call an instance method $basicTestObject = New-Object BasicTest $basicTestObject.Multiply(5, 2) 

Basic.cs

public class BasicTest {     public static int Add(int a, int b)     {         return (a + b);     }      public int Multiply(int a, int b)     {         return (a * b);     } } 

Answer 2

You can use Add-Type to compile C# code and add it to the current PowerShell session. Then you call the C# code like you would any other .NET framework code. This is an example from the man page on Add-Type:

PS C:\>$source = @" public class BasicTest {   public static int Add(int a, int b)     {         return (a + b);     }   public int Multiply(int a, int b)     {     return (a * b);     } } "@  PS C:\>Add-Type -TypeDefinition $source PS C:\>[BasicTest]::Add(4, 3) PS C:\>$basicTestObject = New-Object BasicTest PS C:\>$basicTestObject.Multiply(5, 2)