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To create a simple PowerShell record with named properties, cast a hashtable literal to [pscustomobject]:
$person = [pscustomobject]@{
Name = 'Ada'
Role = 'Engineer'
Active = $true
}
$person.Name
$person | Get-MemberUse this pattern for an ad hoc object you can access with dot notation and pass through the pipeline. If you need a dictionary whose keys stay in insertion order, use [ordered]@{} instead; if you need a reusable named type, consider a class. The exact behavior of version-sensitive details depends on the PowerShell runtime you use.
How to create a PowerShell object with properties
A hashtable literal supplies the property names and values; the direct cast turns it into a custom object. Read a property with dot notation, and inspect the object’s members with Get-Member.
$person = [pscustomobject]@{
Name = 'Ada'
Role = 'Engineer'
Active = $true
}
$person.Name
$person | Get-MemberThis is Microsoft’s documented simple pattern for creating a custom object. Microsoft Learn: about_PSCustomObject
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How to create a collection of custom objects
Put one custom object per item in an array. Each pipeline item then has its own properties, which downstream commands can select or process:
$people = @(
[pscustomobject]@{ Name = 'Ada'; Role = 'Engineer' }
[pscustomobject]@{ Name = 'Grace'; Role = 'Mathematician' }
)
$people | Select-Object Name, RoleSelect-Object here projects the requested properties for output; it does not change the purpose of the original objects.
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Choose the structure that matches the job
| Choice | Best for | Access and ordering |
|---|---|---|
[pscustomobject]@{} |
A one-off record with named properties | Use property access such as $person.Name. A direct cast of a hashtable literal preserves its literal order. |
[ordered]@{} |
A key-value dictionary where insertion order matters | Access dictionary keys; keys remain in insertion order. |
Add-Member or Select-Object |
Adding members to, or projecting properties from, existing data | Useful for shaping objects created elsewhere rather than declaring the simplest new record. |
| A class | A reusable named type, potentially with type-defined behavior | Defines a type for cases where a one-off custom object is not enough. |
Microsoft’s object-creation overview also describes creating objects from sources such as CSV or JSON, as well as approaches including Add-Type, New-Module, and .NET object construction. These are alternatives for particular needs, not requirements for every custom record. Microsoft Learn: about_Object_Creation
When to use an ordered hashtable
A hashtable is a key-value dictionary. To make an ordered dictionary, use the [ordered] accelerator:
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$settings = [ordered]@{
First = 1
Second = 2
}The resulting OrderedDictionary keeps keys in insertion order. This is a dictionary, not the same choice as a custom object when you want to work primarily with object properties. Microsoft documents [ordered] in its about_Hash_Tables reference.
Preserve property order when converting to a custom object
PowerShell objects keep members in the order they were added. If the output member order matters, cast the hashtable literal directly, as in [pscustomobject]@{ First = 1; Second = 2 }. Do not assume the same order when converting a normal hashtable stored in a variable, or a parenthesized hashtable; that conversion does not guarantee the literal’s order. See Microsoft’s about_PSCustomObject documentation.
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When to shape an existing object instead
Use Add-Member when you need to attach a member to an object you already have. Use Select-Object to select properties or create calculated output properties. These tools are suited to adapting existing data; for a new ad hoc record, the direct [pscustomobject] literal is simpler. Microsoft Learn: about_Object_Creation
When a class is the better fit
Use a class when your task calls for a reusable, named type definition and possibly behavior defined by that type. A class is more structure than a one-off record needs. Microsoft lists class definitions among PowerShell’s object-creation methods in its object-creation overview.
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PowerShell version details to know
- Microsoft documents
[pscustomobject]and[ordered]as available since PowerShell 3.0. Older runtimes may therefore require a different approach. - The documented
CountandLengthbehavior for a hashtable cast to[pscustomobject]differs by runtime: in Windows PowerShell, accessing those members returns$null; PowerShell 6 and later report1. - Do not use an individual record’s
CountorLengthas a way to count records. For a collection, count the collection itself and verify behavior in the target runtime.
For the compatibility details, see about_PSCustomObject and about_Hash_Tables.
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