How to get a properly encoded results of `Sort-Object` in Powershell?

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Summary

The encoding issue in Powershell’s Sort-Object cmdlet can be frustrating, especially when working with non-ASCII characters. The problem arises when the output of a command, such as winget list, is piped to sort, resulting in character corruption. This article will delve into the root cause, real-world impact, and provide a solution to this problem.

Root Cause

The root cause of this issue is the default encoding used by Powershell. When Sort-Object is used, it changes the encoding of the input, leading to character corruption. The main reasons for this are:

  • Powershell’s default encoding is not set to UTF-8
  • Sort-Object uses the system’s default encoding when sorting objects

Why This Happens in Real Systems

This issue occurs in real systems due to:

  • Legacy system configurations that use non-UTF-8 encodings
  • Default Powershell settings that do not prioritize UTF-8 encoding
  • Inconsistent encoding across different systems and applications

Real-World Impact

The real-world impact of this issue includes:

  • Data corruption when sorting objects with non-ASCII characters
  • Inaccurate results when relying on sorted data
  • Difficulty in debugging due to character corruption

Example or Code (if necessary and relevant)

# Set the output encoding to UTF-8
$OutputEncoding = [System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8

# Pipe the output to sort with the correct encoding
winget list | Sort-Object | Out-File -FilePath "sorted_output.txt" -Encoding utf8

How Senior Engineers Fix It

Senior engineers fix this issue by:

  • Setting the output encoding to UTF-8 using $OutputEncoding = [System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8
  • Specifying the encoding when piping output to Sort-Object using Out-File -Encoding utf8
  • Configuring Powershell to use UTF-8 as the default encoding

Why Juniors Miss It

Junior engineers may miss this issue due to:

  • Lack of understanding of encoding concepts and Powershell’s default settings
  • Insufficient experience with character corruption and data encoding issues
  • Overlooking the importance of specifying encoding when working with non-ASCII characters