This is the built-in help made by Microsoft for the command 'Import-LocalizedData', in PowerShell version 3 - as retrieved from
Windows version 'Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Standard' PowerShell help files on 2016-06-23.
For PowerShell version 3 and up, where you have Update-Help, this command was run just before creating the web pages from the help files.
Imports language-specific data into scripts and functions based on the UI culture that is selected for the operating system.
Import-LocalizedData [[-BindingVariable] <String>] [[-UICulture] <String>] [-BaseDirectory <String>] [-FileName <String>] [-SupportedCommand
<String[]>] [<CommonParameters>]
The Import-LocalizedData cmdlet dynamically retrieves strings from a subdirectory whose name matches the UI language set for the current user
of the operating system. It is designed to enable scripts to display user messages in the UI language selected by the current user.
Import-LocalizedData imports data from .psd1 files in language-specific subdirectories of the script directory and saves them in a local
variable that is specified in the command. The cmdlet selects the subdirectory and file based on the value of the $PSUICulture automatic
variable. When you use the local variable in the script to display a user message, the message appears in the user's UI language.
You can use the parameters of Import-LocalizedData to specify an alternate UI culture, path, and file name, to add supported commands, and to
suppress the error message that appears if the .psd1 files are not found.
The Import-LocalizedData cmdlet supports the script internationalization initiative that was introduced in Windows PowerShell 2.0. This
initiative aims to better serve users worldwide by making it easy for scripts to display user messages in the UI language of the current user.
For more information about this and about the format of the .psd1 files, see about_Script_Internationalization
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113262).
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Online Version: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113342
about_Script_Internationalization
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-------------------------- EXAMPLE 1 --------------------------
PS C:\>Import-LocalizedData -BindingVariable Messages
This command imports text strings into the $Messages variable. It uses the default values of all other cmdlet parameters.
If the command is included in the Archives.ps1 script in the C:\Test directory, and the value of the $PsUICulture automatic variable is zh-CN,
Import-LocalizedData imports the Archives.psd1 file in the C:\test\zh-CN directory into the $Messages variable.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 2 --------------------------
PS C:\>Import-LocalizedData -FileName Test.psd1 -UICulture en-US
Name Value
---- -----
Msg3 "Use $_ to represent the object that is being processed."
Msg2 "This command requires the credentials of a member of the Administrators group on the...
Msg1 "The Name parameter is missing from the command."
This command is run at the command line; not in a script. It gets localized data strings from the Test.psd1 file and displays them at the
command line. Because the command is not used in a script, the FileName parameter is required. The command uses the UICuture parameter to
specify the en-US culture.
Import-LocalizedData returns a hash table that contains the localized data strings.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 3 --------------------------
PS C:\>Import-LocalizedData -BindingVariable msgTbl -UICulture ar-SA -FileName Simple -BaseDirectory C:\Data\Localized
This command imports text strings into the $msgTbl variable of a script.
It uses the UICulture parameter to direct the cmdlet to import data from the Simple.psd1 file in the ar-SA subdirectory of C:\Data\Localized.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 4 --------------------------
PS C:\># In C:\Test\en-US\Test.psd1:
ConvertFrom-StringData @'
# English strings
Msg1 = "The Name parameter is missing from the command."
Msg2 = "This command requires the credentials of a member of the Administrators group on the computer."
Msg3 = "Use $_ to represent the object that is being processed."
'@
# In C:\Test\Test.ps1
Import-LocalizedData -Bindingvariable Messages
Write-Host $Messages.Msg2
# In Windows PowerShell
PS C:\>.\Test.ps1
This command requires the credentials of a member of the Administrators group on the computer.
This example shows how to use localized data in a simple script.
The first part of the example shows the contents of the Test.psd1 file. It contains a ConvertFrom-StringData command that converts a series of
named text strings into a hash table. The Test.psd1 file is located in the en-US subdirectory of the C:\Test directory that contains the
script.
The second part of the example shows the contents of the Test.ps1 script. It contains an Import-LocalizedData command that imports the data
from the matching .psd1 file into the $Messages variable and a Write-Host command that writes one of the messages in the $Messages variable to
the host program.
The last part of the example runs the script. The output shows that it displays the correct user message in the UI language set for the
current user of the operating system.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 5 --------------------------
PS C:\># In TestScript.ps1$UserMessages = DATA
{ ConvertFrom-StringData @'
# English strings
Msg1 = "Enter a name."
Msg2 = "Enter your employee ID."
Msg3 = "Enter your building number."
'@ }
Import-LocalizedData -BindingVariable UserMessages
$UserMessages.Msg1...
This example shows how to use Import-LocalizedData to replace default text strings defined in the DATA section of a script.
In this example, the DATA section of the TestScript.ps1 script contains a ConvertFrom-StringData command that converts the contents of the
DATA section to a hash table and stores in the value of the $UserMessages variable.
The script also includes an Import-LocalizedData command, which imports a hash table of translated text strings from the TestScript.psd1 file
in the subdirectory specified by the value of the $PsUICulture variable. If the command finds the .psd1 file, it saves the translated strings
from the file in the value of the same $UserMessages variable, overwriting the hash table saved by the DATA section logic.
The third command displays the first message in the $UserMessages variable.
If the Import-LocalizedData command finds a .psd1 file for the $PsUICulture language, the value of the $UserMessages variable contains the
translated text strings. If the command fails for any reason, the command displays the default text strings defined in the DATA section of the
script.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 6 --------------------------
PS C:\># In Day1.ps1
PS C:\>Import-LocalizedData -BindingVariable DayDay.MessageDate
# In Day2.ps1
PS C:\>Import-LocalizedData -BindingVariable Day -ErrorAction:SilentlyContinue
Day.MessageDate
PS C:\>.\Day1.ps1
Import-LocalizedData : Cannot find PowerShell data file 'Day1.psd1' in directory 'C:\ps-test\fr-BE\' or any parent culture directories.
At C:\ps-test\Day1.ps1:17 char:21+ Import-LocalizedData <<<< Day
Today is Tuesday
PS C:\>.\Day2.ps1
Today is Tuesday
This example shows how to suppress the error messages that appear when Import-LocalizedData cannot find the directories that match the user's
UI culture or cannot find a .psd1 file for the script in those directories.
You can use the ErrorAction common parameter with a value of SilentlyContinue to suppress the error message. This is especially useful when
you have provided user messages in a default or "fallback" language, and no error message is needed.
This example compares two scripts, Day1.ps1 and Day2.ps1, that include an Import-LocalizedData command. The scripts are identical, except that
Day2 uses the ErrorAction common parameter with a value of SilentlyContinue.
The sample output shows the results of running both scripts when the UI culture is set to fr-BE and there are no matching files or directories
for that UI culture. Day1.ps1 displays an error message and English output. Day2.ps1 just displays the English output.