# Lesson learned while using Taskfile to invoke PowerShell command

# Context

I recently came across [TaskFile](https://taskfile.dev/) and wanted to use it to automate some of my workflows, which underlying invokes PowerShell commands. However, I faced several errors while doing so, and this post is to reflect on it, and hopefully help myself (in the future), or someone else.

To be clear, this has nothing to do with `TaskFile`.

# Current State

I wrote a super simple `taskfile.yml` which invokes my PowerShell script.

```yaml
version: '3'

tasks:
  dl-apps:
    platforms: [windows]
    dir: /apps
    cmds:
      - powershell -File apps-downloads.ps1
```

## Attempt #1

I try to run the `task` command, but encounter the following error message.

```powershell
> task dl-apps
task: [dl-apps] powershell -File apps-downloads.ps1
Import-Module : The specified module 'oh-my-posh' was not loaded because no valid module file was found in any module directory.
At C:\Users\Joseph\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1:2 char:1
+ Import-Module oh-my-posh
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (oh-my-posh:String) [Import-Module], FileNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Modules_ModuleNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.ImportModuleCommand

Import-PowerShellDataFile : The term 'Import-PowerShellDataFile' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was
included, verify that the path is correct and try again.
At C:\Users\Joseph\Documents\PowerShell\Modules\Terminal-Icons\0.9.0\Terminal-Icons.psm1:210 char:33
+         $hash.Add($_.Basename, (Import-PowerShellDataFile $_.FullName ...
+                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (Import-PowerShellDataFile:String) [], CommandNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException
```

It wasn't immediately obvious to me what the problem was, so I attempted to figure out what was causing it.

### Wrong PowerShell Profile invoked?

Running this command would show the current profiles

```powershell
> $PROFILE | Select-Object *

AllUsersAllHosts       : C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\profile.ps1
AllUsersCurrentHost    : C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
CurrentUserAllHosts    : C:\Users\Joseph\Documents\PowerShell\profile.ps1
CurrentUserCurrentHost : C:\Users\Joseph\Documents\PowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
Length                 : 69
```

Only `CurrentUserCurrentHost` is valid as I did not find any profiles (.ps1) file

> I later realized that it did not display the list of profiles for legacy PowerShell, those in <path>\\WindowsPowerShell\\

My `Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1` contains the following

```powershell
Import-Module Terminal-Icons
Import-Module PSReadLine
Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionSource History
Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionViewStyle ListView
Set-PSReadLineOption -EditMode Windows

Set-Alias k kubectl
Set-Alias mk minikube

oh-my-posh init pwsh --config "$env:POSH_THEMES_PATH\night-owl.omp.json" | Invoke-Expression
```

There was no indication of `posh-git` module. I have already [removed](https://bwgjoseph.com/installing-oh-my-posh-using-winget) it and changed it to using the `oh-my-posh` installation method rather than using the PowerShell module.

So I'm quite confused about why this happens.

### Wrong posh-git invoked?

So I ran the following command to see if there's `posh-git` and it does exist

```powershell
> Get-module -ListAvailable

    Directory: C:\Users\Joseph\Documents\PowerShell\Modules

ModuleType Version    PreRelease Name                                PSEdition ExportedCommands
---------- -------    ---------- ----                                --------- ----------------
Script     1.0.0                 posh-git                            Desk      {Add-PoshGitToProfile, Expand-GitCommand, Format-GitBranchName, Get-GitBranchStatusColor…}
Script     2.2.1      rc1        PSReadLine                          Desk      {Get-PSReadLineKeyHandler, Set-PSReadLineKeyHandler, Remove-PSReadLineKeyHandler, Get-PSReadLineOption…}
Script     0.9.0                 Terminal-Icons                      Desk      {Add-TerminalIconsColorTheme, Add-TerminalIconsIconTheme, Format-TerminalIcons, Get-TerminalIconsColorTheme…}
Script     1.1.13                z                                   Desk      {z, cdX, popdX, pushdX}
```

That's rather interesting as I thought I had already removed it. So I uninstalled it again

```powershell
> Uninstall-Module posh-git
```

After which, I verified that it was indeed removed.

```powershell
> Get-module -ListAvailable

    Directory: C:\Users\Joseph\Documents\PowerShell\Modules

ModuleType Version    PreRelease Name                                PSEdition ExportedCommands
---------- -------    ---------- ----                                --------- ----------------
Script     2.2.1      rc1        PSReadLine                          Desk      {Get-PSReadLineKeyHandler, Set-PSReadLineKeyHandler, Remove-PSReadLineKeyHandler, Get-PSReadLineOption…}
Script     0.9.0                 Terminal-Icons                      Desk      {Add-TerminalIconsColorTheme, Add-TerminalIconsIconTheme, Format-TerminalIcons, Get-TerminalIconsColorTheme…}
Script     1.1.13                z                                   Desk      {z, cdX, popdX, pushdX}
```

## Attempt #2

With that, I tried to run the `task` command again, however, it is still throwing the same error.

```powershell
> task dl-apps
task: [dl-apps] powershell -File apps-downloads.ps1
Import-Module : The specified module 'posh-git' was not loaded because no valid module file was found in any module directory.
At C:\Users\Joseph\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1:1 char:1
+ Import-Module posh-git
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (posh-git:String) [Import-Module], FileNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Modules_ModuleNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.ImportModuleCommand
```

Since I just uninstalled `posh-git`, and have verified it. This error shouldn't happen anymore. So I printed out the content of the file which in hindsight, I should have done in the first place.

```powershell
> cat C:\Users\Joseph\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
```

And this is the output

```bash
> cat C:\Users\Joseph\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
Import-Module posh-git
Import-Module oh-my-posh
Import-Module Terminal-Icons
Import-Module PSReadLine
Import-Module z
Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionSource History
Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionViewStyle ListView
Set-PSReadLineOption -EditMode Windows
Set-PoshPrompt Paradox
```

Which then made me realize that I was looking at two different files **right from the start**!

```bash
# PS - Legacy < 5.x
C:\Users\Joseph\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
# PS - Current > 6.x
C:\Users\Joseph\Documents\PowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
```

So there are two different versions of the directory, and running for different PowerShell versions.

# Solution

Knowing my mistake, it was quite simple to fix it. I just had to switch to using `pwsh` command. But I guess this is also a good lesson for me to always take closer look at the differences between versions.

```yaml
version: '3'

tasks:
  dl-apps:
    platforms: [windows]
    dir: /apps
    cmds:
      - pwsh -File apps-downloads.ps1
```

References:

* [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/scripting/whats-new/differences-from-windows-powershell?view=powershell-7.3#powershell-executable-changes](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/scripting/whats-new/differences-from-windows-powershell?view=powershell-7.3#powershell-executable-changes)