Invoke-Expression: The Universal PowerShell Executor Cmdlet

The cmdlet “Invoke-Expression” in PowerShell executes the expressions on the local computer. This cmdlet has the capability to run the scripts or strings as a command and gets the results of the command in PowerShell. In other words, it accepts the string to be executed as a code. When the string is submitted to the command line without this cmdlet, the result will be unchanged.

The following blog will consider several prospects to explain the “Invoke-Expression” cmdlet.

How to Use the “Invoke-Expression” Cmdlet in PowerShell?

As stated earlier, the “Invoke-Expression” cmdlet helps to run or evaluate a string or script as a command. Further usage is elaborated on in the given examples below.

Example 1: Utilize the “Invoke-Expression” Cmdlet to Evaluate a Command

This example will evaluate an expression using the “Invoke-Expression” cmdlet:

$Cmdlet = "Get-Service"

Invoke-Expression $Cmdlet

According to the above code:

First, initialize a variable “$cmdlet” and assign the “Get-Service” cmdlet to it.
After that, use the “Invoke-Expression” cmdlet to invoke the “$cmdlet” variable:

Example 2: Utilize the Cmdlet “Invoke-Expression” to Run a Command in a Variable

This example will run a command in a variable using the cmdlet “Invoke-Expression”:

$cmdlet = 'Get-Process | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Name -Last 5'

Invoke-Expression $Cmdlet

According to the above code:

First, initialize the variable “$cmdlet” and assign the command to it.
After that, utilize the cmdlet “Invoke-Expression” to call the command assigned variable “$cmdlet”:

Example 3: Utilize the Cmdlet “Invoke-Expression” to Execute the Script in PowerShell Console

Now, execute the below command:

Invoke-Expression "C:\New\TestScript.ps1"

To run the script in the PowerShell console, first, add the “Invoke-Expression” cmdlet and then specify the script path within double inverted quotes:

It can be observed that the script in the PowerShell console was successfully invoked using the “Invoke-Expression” cmdlet.

Conclusion

The “Invoke-Expression” cmdlet is known for running or evaluating a string as a command in PowerShell. First, it stores the script or string in a variable, and then it invokes the string-assigned variable. This blog has explained the “Invoke-Expression” cmdlet with multiple examples.