Expand-Alias for PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment

Get your PowerShell code ready for production by expanding your shorthand alias syntax.

Use the shorthand approach to knock out your scripts. Then expand them. Makes your code more readable and maintainable in the long run.

Press Ctrl+Shift+E

How To

Add this code to your Microsoft.PowerShellISE_profile.ps1

Function Expand-Alias {
  $content=$psise.CurrentOpenedFile.Editor.text
  [System.Management.Automation.PsParser]::Tokenize($content, [ref] $null) |
    Where { $_.Type -eq 'Command'} |
    Sort StartLine, StartColumn -Desc |
    ForEach {
      if($_.Content -eq '?') {
        $result = Get-Command '`?' -CommandType Alias
      } else {
        $result = Get-Command $_.Content -CommandType Alias -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
      }

      if($result)
      {
        $psise.CurrentOpenedFile.Editor.Select($_.StartLine,$_.StartColumn,$_.EndLine,$_.EndColumn)
        $psise.CurrentOpenedFile.Editor.InsertText($result.Definition)
      }
    }
}

if( -Not ($psISE.CustomMenu.Submenus | ?{$_.DisplayName -eq 'Expand Alias'}) ) {
    $null = $psISE.CustomMenu.Submenus.Add("Expand Alias", {Expand-Alias}, 'Ctrl+Shift+E')
}

Update

Thanks to Johannes RÃ¶ssel who emailed the updated version that works with the PowerShell version shipped with Win 7 RC.

Function Expand-Alias {
  $content=$psise.CurrentFile.Editor.text
  [System.Management.Automation.PsParser]::Tokenize($content, [ref] $null) |
    Where { $_.Type -eq 'Command'} |
    Sort StartLine, StartColumn -Desc |
    ForEach {
      if($_.Content -eq '?') {
        $result = Get-Command '`?' -CommandType Alias
      } else {
        $result = Get-Command $_.Content -CommandType Alias -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
      }
      if($result)
      {
        $psise.CurrentFile.Editor.Select($_.StartLine,$_.StartColumn,$_.EndLine,$_.EndColumn)
        $psise.CurrentFile.Editor.InsertText($result.Definition)
      }
    }
}
  
if( -Not ($psISE.CustomMenu.Submenus | ?{$_.DisplayName -eq 'Expand Alias'}) ) {
  $null = $psISE.CurrentPowershellTab.AddOnsMenu.Submenus.Add("Expand Alias", {Expand-Alias}, 'Ctrl+Shift+E')
}