Developer Guide: Testing of Commands

Actively developing new code for the Framework will result in core files to be changed or new functionality added. To load the Framework we use in general icinga -Shell, which does how ever not cover changes we made afterwards. To keep track of the changes for new features or while testing something, we always have to open a new PowerShell instance.

Invoke-IcingaCommand or simply icinga

Instead of having to write a long command for testing, you can use the newly introduced Cmdlet Invoke-IcingaCommand with PowerShell Framework 1.2.0. To make it even easier, we created an alias for this: icinga

To test new commands, features or to simply troubleshoot you can now simply type icinga followed by { } containing your code:

icinga { <# your code #> }

One easy example is to simply print console output;

icinga { Write-IcingaConsoleError 'Hello from Icinga' }

[Error]: Hello from Icinga

The command will load the entire Framework and all components and output the result of your code.

Rebuilding Framework Cache

Starting with Icinga for Windows v1.6.0, a caching is natively implement to speed-up the loading of the Framework. In case modifications are done on the Framework itself, you can use the icinga alias together with the argument -RebuildCache and your code snippet to rebuild the cache and run your code within the updated state.

icinga { Write-IcingaConsoleError 'Hello from Icinga' } -RebuildCache

Improved Shell handling

In addition to above mentioned example, you can not only execute code snippets but also start a new PowerShell with the entire Framework loaded. The benefit of this is, that while mostly an exit should be handled, it might still cause your shell to close. With the icinga command, you will only close an additional shell and keep your own shell open:

C:\Users> icinga
icinga>

Now you can type in your commands as you would on any other PowerShell - how ever, this is a new instance so in case we close it, we still have our shell open:

icinga> Exit-IcingaThrowException -Force -CustomMessage 'Force Exit of our Shell with an exception';
[UNKNOWN]: Icinga Unhandled Error was thrown: Unhandled Exception: Force Exit of our Shell with an exception

Unhandled exception occured:

Instead of our own shell closing, we still have our previous one open and can start another shell by using icinga -Shell with the entire Framework loaded.

This also works for code we directly invoke to the icinga alias:

icinga { Exit-IcingaThrowException -Force -CustomMessage 'Force Exit of our Shell with an exception'; }

[UNKNOWN]: Icinga Unhandled Error was thrown: Unhandled Exception: Force Exit of our Shell with an exception

Unhandled exception occured: