ColorConsole [Version 1.7.1000] PowerShell 2.0-Export
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.

C:\Windows-7>Powershell get-help Read-Host -full

# NAME
Read-Host

# SYNOPSIS
Reads a line of input from the console.

# SYNTAX
Read-Host [[-Prompt] <Object>] [-AsSecureString] [<CommonParameters>]

# DESCRIPTION
The Read-Host cmdlet reads a line of input from the console. You can use it to prompt a user for input. Because you can save the input as a secure string, you can use this cmdlet to prompt users for secure data, such as passwords, as well as shared data.

# PARAMETERS
-AsSecureString [<SwitchParameter>]
Displays asterisks (*) in place of the characters that the user types as input.

When you use this parameter, the output of the Read-Host cmdlet is a SecureString object (System.Security.SecureString).

Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? false
Accept wildcard characters? false

-Prompt <Object>
Specifies the text of the prompt. Type a string. If the string includes spaces, enclose it in quotation marks. For example, "Type an integer: ".

Required? false
Position? 1
Default value
Accept pipeline input? false
Accept wildcard characters? false

<CommonParameters>
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
OutBuffer and OutVariable. For more information, type,
"get-help about_commonparameters".

# INPUTS
None
You cannot pipe input to this cmdlet.

# OUTPUTS
System.String or System.Security.SecureString
If the AsSecureString parameter is used, Read-Host returns a SecureString. Otherwise, it returns a string.

# NOTES

# EXAMPLE 1

C:\PS>$age = read-host "Please enter your age:"

# Description
-----------
This command displays the string "Please enter your age:" as a prompt. When a value is entered and the Enter key is pressed, the value is stored in the $age variable.

# EXAMPLE 2

C:\PS>$pwd_secure_string = read-host "Enter a Password:" -assecurestring

# Description
-----------
This command displays the string "Enter a Password:" as a prompt. As a value is being entered, asterisks (*) appear on the console in place of the input. When the Enter key is pressed, the value is stored as a SecureString object in the $pwd_secure_string variable.

RELATED LINKS
Online version: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113371
Get-Host
Out-Host
Write-Host
ConvertFrom-SecureString

C:\Windows>powershell get-help Set-Alias -full