8

I like to define the env variable PROMPT as $p$_$g so prompt starts in a new line.

But seems to be not applying to my PowerShell prompt :-(

dir function:/ shows that a name "prompt" is already defined.

Any way I can get my prompt customized in a PowerShell console, without messing up with the already defined "prompt" name?

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1 Answer 1

Reset to default
17

The prompt function is just the default prompt supplied by Powershell. If you put a new prompt function into your profile, it will overwrite the existing one - but if you remove the custom definition in your profile, the previous function will be used again.

Edit your profile with: 

notepad $profile

Then add your custom prompt function:

function prompt {
    "$pwd
    >"
}

Restart powershell and you will have your new prompt.

To revert, just edit $profile again and remove the new function.

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3
  • A note to add: You can do pretty much anything in your prompt function, including colorized output (with Write-Host), &c. However, keep in mind that it must return something. If you only do Write-Host -Fore Green -no "PS $pwd> " in there you'll get a prompt like PS Home:\> PS> since PowerShell assumes that an empty prompt wasn't what you meant. In those cases you can output a character more than needed and return "b"` (the backspace character).
    – Joey
    May 30, 2010 at 9:34
  • Johannes: can't believe I forgot about $pwd, thanks!
    – MattB
    May 30, 2010 at 13:48
  • In my case (Windows 10/11), that file did not exist, so I had to create it: C:\Users\{USER}\Documents\PowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1.
    – nelson6e65
    Mar 9, 2022 at 15:14

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