I am creating a script module and using a manifest to export script members and set other module properties. I have followed just about every example manifest I've found and even used New-ModuleManifest to create a baseline manifest with the properties I want, I still cannot get the variables I want to export to actually export.
The intention here is to do all declarations in the manifest without having to use Export-ModuleMember in the module script.
Here is the script module:
#
# Widget.psm1
#
[System.Random]$rGen = New-Object System.Random;
[string]$WidgetBaseName = $null;
[string]$WidgetColor = "Blue";
function Get-WidgetName
{
param
(
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$widgetName,
[switch]$appendRandomNumber
)
if (![string]::IsNullOrEmpty($WidgetBaseName))
{
$widgetName = $WidgetBaseName + $widgetName;
}
if ($appendRandomNumber)
{
return [string]::Format("{0}{1:D4}", $widgetName, $rGen.Next(10000));
}
else
{
return $widgetName;
}
}
function Get-WidgetBlessing()
{
return [string]::Format("A thousand blessings upon your {0} widget!", $WidgetColor);
}
And this is the manifest:
#
# Widget.psd1
#
@{
# Script module or binary module file associated with this manifest
RootModule = 'Widget.psm1'
# Version number of this module.
ModuleVersion = '0.0.0.1'
# ID used to uniquely identify this module
GUID = 'c4437164-ea47-4148-97ed-48737bd5824d'
# Author of this module
Author = 'Widget Developer'
# Company or vendor of this module
CompanyName = 'Fictional Company Inc.'
# Copyright statement for this module
Copyright = '(c) 2016 Fictional Company. All rights reserved.'
# Description of the functionality provided by this module
Description = 'Widget Module'
# Minimum version of the Windows PowerShell engine required by this module
# PowerShellVersion = ''
# Name of the Windows PowerShell host required by this module
# PowerShellHostName = ''
# Minimum version of the Windows PowerShell host required by this module
# PowerShellHostVersion = ''
# Minimum version of the .NET Framework required by this module
# DotNetFrameworkVersion = ''
# Minimum version of the common language runtime (CLR) required by this module
# CLRVersion = ''
# Processor architecture (None, X86, Amd64) required by this module
# ProcessorArchitecture = ''
# Modules that must be imported into the global environment prior to importing this module
# RequiredModules = @()
# Assemblies that must be loaded prior to importing this module
# RequiredAssemblies = @()
# Script files (.ps1) that are run in the caller's environment prior to importing this module
# ScriptsToProcess = @()
# Type files (.ps1xml) to be loaded when importing this module
# TypesToProcess = @()
# Format files (.ps1xml) to be loaded when importing this module
# FormatsToProcess = @()
# Modules to import as nested modules of the module specified in RootModule/ModuleToProcess
# NestedModules = @()
# Functions to export from this module
FunctionsToExport = @( "Get-WidgetName", "Get-WidgetBlessing" )
# Cmdlets to export from this module
# CmdletsToExport = @()
# Variables to export from this module
VariablesToExport = 'WidgetBaseName', 'WidgetColor'
# Aliases to export from this module
AliasesToExport = '*'
# List of all modules packaged with this module
# ModuleList = @()
# List of all files packaged with this module
# FileList = @()
# Private data to pass to the module specified in RootModule/ModuleToProcess
# PrivateData = ''
# HelpInfo URI of this module
# HelpInfoURI = ''
# Default prefix for commands exported from this module. Override the default prefix using Import-Module -Prefix.
# DefaultCommandPrefix = ''
}
To check what members get exported, I run the following commands in my PowerShell window:
Import-Module Widget
Get-Module -Name Widget | fl
This is the output. Note the conspicuous absence of any exported variables.
Name : Widget
Path : D:\SRE\PowerShell\Widget\Widget.psm1
Description : Widget Module
ModuleType : Script
Version : 0.0.0.1
NestedModules : {}
ExportedFunctions : {Get-WidgetBlessing, Get-WidgetName}
ExportedCmdlets :
ExportedVariables :
ExportedAliases :
Why is this? I'm using the manifest that New-ModuleManifest generated (New-ModuleManifest -VariablesToExport WidgetBaseName WidgetColor). Is that tool broken, or is there something else in the manifest that is causing this behavior?
UPDATE:
I added the following line to the end of the module script:
Export-ModuleMember -Variable WidgetBaseName, WidgetColor
I changed the value of VariablesToExport to '*' in the manifest file.
Now when I import the module and run the check as described above, I get this instead:
Name : Widget
Path : D:\SRE\PowerShell\Widget\Widget.psm1
Description : Widget Module
ModuleType : Script
Version : 0.0.0.1
NestedModules : {}
ExportedFunctions :
ExportedCmdlets :
ExportedVariables : {WidgetBaseName, WidgetColor}
ExportedAliases :
... where did my exported functions go?
So for the sake of completeness and for anybody that lands on this question in the future I am going to sum up the conversation we had in the comments to the OP's question.
All functions are exported from a module by default, no other members exhibit this behavior. It is as if Export-ModuleMember -Function * is implicitly called from within the module. You can then further restrict what functions are exported via the ExportedFunctions key in the module manifest, e.g. ExportedFunctions : {Get-WidgetBlessing, Get-WidgetName}.
If you want to export variables or aliases you have to explicitly add a call to Export-ModuleMember -Variable <what you want to export> or Export-ModuleMember -Alias <what you want to export> in your module. However, once you have added an explicit call to Export-ModuleMember the implicit call to Export-ModuleMember -Function * no longer happens. You have to remember to add Export-ModuleMember -Function * to your module explicitly if you add even one other explicit call to Export-ModuleMember or else your functions will no longer continue to be exported.