In the previous tip we examined Set-PSBreakpoint to create dynamic variable breakpoints in PowerShell. We showed how a breakpoint can trigger when a variable changes.
However, what if you want to monitor the change of object properties? Let’s assume you want to monitor the size of an array, and break into the debugger when it grows too large.
In this scenario, the PowerShell variable never changes. It is the object inside the variable that changes. Which is why you need a “Read” mode breakpoint rather than a “Write” mode breakpoint:
# break when $array’s length is greater than 10 Set-PSBreakpoint -Variable array -Action { if ($array.Length -gt 10) { break }} -Mode Read -Script $PSCommandPath $array = @() do { $number = Get-Random -Minimum -20 -Maximum 20 "Adding $number to $($array.count) elements" $array += $number } while ($true)
This script breaks into the debugger once the array in $array has more than 10 elements. Don’t forget to press SHIFT+F5 to exit the debugger.
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