Handle serialized CLIXML OutputFormat

[maxlinc]

One of the PowerShell options is:

-OutputFormat {Text | XML}
Determines how output from Windows PowerShell is formatted. Valid values are "Text" (text strings) or "XML" (serialized CLIXML format).

This gem doesn't parse the latter, so it seems like it would be good to always capture output as text. Unfortunately, this option only seems to control the stdout stream. The stderr stream is always written as CLIXML, as seen in this pry session. Changing the option from Text to XML effects stdout but not stderr:

[1] pry(#<WinRM::WinRMWebService>)> run_cmd("powershell -outputFormat Text -encodedCommand #{script}", &block)
=> {:data=>
  [{:stdout=>"Hello"},
   {:stdout=>"\n"},
   {:stderr=>"#< CLIXML\r\n"},
   {:stderr=>"<Objs Version=\"1.1.0.1\" xmlns=\"http://schemas.microsoft.com/powershell/2004/04\"><S S=\"Error\">, world!_x000D__x000A_</S></Objs>"}],
 :exitcode=>0}
[2] pry(#<WinRM::WinRMWebService>)> run_cmd("powershell -outputFormat XML -encodedCommand #{script}", &block)
=> {:data=>
  [{:stdout=>"#< CLIXML\r\n"},
   {:stderr=>"#< CLIXML\r\n"},
   {:stdout=>"<Objs Version=\"1.1.0.1\" xmlns=\"http://schemas.microsoft.com/powershell/2004/04\"><S S=\"Output\">Hello</S><S S=\"Output\">_x000A_</S></Objs>"},
   {:stderr=>"<Objs Version=\"1.1.0.1\" xmlns=\"http://schemas.microsoft.com/powershell/2004/04\"><S S=\"Error\">, world!_x000D__x000A_</S></Objs>"}],
 :exitcode=>0}

Actually, even though it is always XML it does look like using Text at least limits the stderr to XML only containing serialized strings, as opposed to more complex types when using XML:

[3] pry(#<WinRM::WinRMWebService>)> run_cmd("powershell -outputFormat Text -encodedCommand #{script}", &block)
=> {:data=>
  [{:stdout=>"Hello"},
   {:stdout=>"\n"},
   {:stderr=>"#< CLIXML\r\n"},
   {:stderr=>
     "<Objs Version=\"1.1.0.1\" xmlns=\"http://schemas.microsoft.com/powershell/2004/04\"><S S=\"Error\">      Write-Host 'Hello'_x000D__x000A_</S><S S=\"Error\">      Write-Error 'foo'_x000D__x000A_</S><S S=\"Error\">      $host.ui.WriteErrorLine(', world!')_x000D__x000A"},
   {:stderr=>
     "_</S><S S=\"Error\"> : foo_x000D__x000A_</S><S S=\"Error\">    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Write-Error], WriteErrorExcep _x000D__x000A_</S><S S=\"Error\">   tion_x000D__x000A_</S><S S=\"Error\">    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteErrorExceptio _x000D__x000A_</S><S S=\"Error\">   n_x000D__x000A_</S><S S=\"Error\"> _x000D__x000A_</S><S S=\"Error\">, world!_x000D__x000A_</S></Objs>"}],
 :exitcode=>0}
[4] pry(#<WinRM::WinRMWebService>)> run_cmd("powershell -outputFormat XML -encodedCommand #{script}", &block)
=> {:data=>
  [{:stdout=>"#< CLIXML\r\n"},
   {:stderr=>"#< CLIXML\r\n"},
   {:stdout=>"<Objs Version=\"1.1.0.1\" xmlns=\"http://schemas.microsoft.com/powershell/2004/04\"><S S=\"Output\">Hello</S><S S=\"Output\">_x000A_</S></Objs>"},
   {:stderr=>
     "<Objs Version=\"1.1.0.1\" xmlns=\"http://schemas.microsoft.com/powershell/2004/04\"><Obj S=\"Error\" RefId=\"0\"><TN RefId=\"0\"><T>System.Management.Automation.ErrorRecord</T><T>System.Object</T></TN><ToString>foo</ToString><MS><B N=\"writeErrorStream\">true</B><Obj "},
   {:stderr=>
     "N=\"Exception\" RefId=\"1\"><TN RefId=\"1\"><T>Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteErrorException</T><T>System.SystemException</T><T>System.Exception</T><T>System.Object</T></TN><ToString>Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteErrorException: foo</ToString><Props><S N=\"Message\">foo</S><Obj N=\"Data\" RefId=\"2\"><TN RefId=\"2\"><T>System.Collections.ListDictionaryInternal</T><T>System.Object</T></TN><DCT /></Obj><Nil N=\"InnerException\" /><Nil N=\"TargetSite\" /><Nil N=\"StackTrace\" /><Nil N=\"HelpLink\" /><Nil N=\"Source\" /><I32 N=\"HResult\">-2146233087</I32></Props></Obj><Nil N=\"TargetObject\" /><S N=\"FullyQualifiedErrorId\">Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteErrorException</S><Obj N=\"InvocationInfo\" RefId=\"3\"><TN RefId=\"3\"><T>System.Management.Automation.InvocationInfo</T><T>System.Object</T></TN><ToString>System.Management.Automation.InvocationInfo</ToString><Props><Obj N=\"MyCommand\" RefId=\"4\"><TN RefId=\"4\"><T>System.Management.Automation.ScriptInfo</T><T>System.Management.Automation.CommandInfo</T><T>System.Object</T></TN><ToString>      Write-Host 'Hello'_x000A_      Write-Error 'foo'_x000A_      $host.ui.WriteErrorLine(', world!')_x000A_</ToString><Props><SBK N=\"ScriptBlock\">      Write-Host 'Hello'_x000A_      Write-Error 'foo'_x000A_      $host.ui.WriteErrorLine(', world!')_x000A_</SBK><S N=\"Definition\">      Write-Host 'Hello'_x000A_      Write-Error 'foo'_x000A_      $host.ui.WriteErrorLine(', world!')_x000A_</S><Obj N=\"OutputType\" RefId=\"5\"><TN RefId=\"5\"><T>System.Collections.ObjectModel.ReadOnlyCollection`1[[System.Management.Automation.PSTypeName, System.Management.Automation, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35]]</T><T>System.Object</T></TN><LST /></Obj><S N=\"Name\"></S><S N=\"CommandType\">Script</S><S N=\"Visibility\">Public</S><S N=\"ModuleName\"></S><Nil N=\"Module\" /><S N=\"RemotingCapability\">PowerShell</S><Obj N=\"ParameterSets\" RefId=\"6\"><TN RefId=\"6\"><T>System.Collections.ObjectModel.ReadOnlyCollection`1[[System.Management.Automation.CommandParameterSetInfo, System.Management.Automation, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35]]</T><T>System.Object</T></TN><LST><S></S></LST></Obj></Props><MS><S N=\"Namespace\"></S><S N=\"HelpUri\"></S></MS></Obj><Obj N=\"BoundParameters\" RefId=\"7\"><TN RefId=\"7\"><T>System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2[[System.String, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089],[System.Object, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089]]</T><T>System.Object</T></TN><DCT /></Obj><Obj N=\"UnboundArguments\" RefId=\"8\"><TN RefId=\"8\"><T>System.Collections.Generic.List`1[[System.Object, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089]]</T><T>System.Object</T></TN><LST /></Obj><I32 N=\"ScriptLineNumber\">0</I32><I32 N=\"OffsetInLine\">0</I32><I64 N=\"HistoryId\">1</I64><S N=\"ScriptName\"></S><S N=\"Line\"></S><S N=\"PositionMessage\"></S><S N=\"PSScriptRoot\"></S><Nil N=\"PSCommandPath\" /><S N=\"InvocationName\"></S><I32 N=\"PipelineLength\">0</I32><I32 N=\"PipelinePosition\">0</I32><B N=\"ExpectingInput\">false</B><Obj N=\"CommandOrigin\" RefId=\"9\"><TN RefId=\"9\"><T>System.Management.Automation.CommandOrigin</T><T>System.Enum</T><T>System.ValueType</T><T>System.Object</T></TN><ToString>Internal</ToString><I32>1</I32></Obj><Nil N=\"DisplayScriptPosition\" /></Props></Obj><I32 N=\"ErrorCategory_Category\">0</I32><S N=\"ErrorCategory_Activity\">Write-Error</S><S N=\"ErrorCategory_Reason\">WriteErrorException</S><S N=\"ErrorCategory_TargetName\"></S><S N=\"ErrorCategory_TargetType\"></S><S N=\"ErrorCategory_Message\">NotSpecified: (:) [Write-Error], WriteErrorException</S><B N=\"SerializeExtendedInfo\">false</B><Nil N=\"PSMessageDetails\" /></MS></Obj><S S=\"Error\">, world!_x000D__x000A_</S></Objs>"}],
 :exitcode=>0}

[maxlinc]

FYI - figured out at least very basic parsing, that will get all the serialized String objects from the XML:

    def stderr_text
      doc = REXML::Document.new(stderr)
      text = doc.root.get_elements('//S').map(&:text).join
      text.gsub(/_x(\h\h\h\h)_/) do
        code = Regexp.last_match[1]
        code.hex.chr
      end
    end

Dealing with the encoded strings was a bit unpleasant, but the solution above seems to work.

[sneal]

Wow, that's great! That will definitely make errors much easier on the eyes to parse.

[chris-rock]

Would love to see this integrated and done in WinRM

[mwrock]

Its currently in our v2 branch. Yeah it looks WAY better: https://github.com/WinRb/WinRM/blob/winrm-v2/lib/winrm/wsmv/powershell_output_decoder.rb