File as parameter to PowerShell function

 Quite often I find it usefull to have a file as parameter to a PowerShell function. And most times I want to make sure the file exists when the function is called. In a PowerShell advanced function this can be done quick and short by a validation. More precisely by a ValidationScript attribute to the parameter.

A example on a function with a file as parameter with validation on existance could be something like

function Write-LogFile {
    <#
    .DESCRIPTION
    #>
    [CmdletBinding()]
    [OutputType([void])]
    Param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$true, ValueFromPipeLine=$true, HelpMessage='...')]
        [ValidateScript({$_.Exists})]
        [System.IO.FileInfo]$LogFile,

Running a call to the function with a file object that does not exist

[System.IO.FileInfo]$theLogFile = "$PSScriptRoot\log.txt"
Write-LogFile -LogFile $theLogFile

… will generate an error like

PS C:\Scripts> .\FileParameter.ps1
Write-LogFile: C:\Scripts\FileParameter.ps1:26
Line |
  26 |  Write-LogFile -LogFile $theLogFile …
     |                         ~~~~~~~~~~~
     | Cannot validate argument on parameter 'LogFile'. The "$_.Exists" validation script for the argument with value
     | "C:\Scripts\log.txt" did not return a result of True. Determine why
     | the validation script failed, and then try the command again.

There are many other ways to validate if a file exists, but I like to use a FileInfo object as it give the functionality without much custom code.