What’s the Deal with the $dryrun Variable?

The variable you're looking for is actually WhatIfPreference. Setting it to true makes cmdlets inform you of actions they would take without actually performing them. Just remember that not all cmdlets implement it, even if their metadata suggests they do. Always good to check the documentation!

There are already some excellent points made here! Just to add, the effectiveness of `-WhatIf` can vary quite a bit, since it's up to the cmdlet author's discretion on how detailed the `WhatIf` functionality is. Don't rely on it too much for complete accuracy!

Just to clarify, $dryRun isn't an actual command—it's a variable in a specific script. Its meaning is dependent on that context. Some cmdlets do have a `-DryRun` parameter that works similarly, but its effectiveness will vary based on the cmdlet or script.

If you’re looking to check what a script would do, definitely check out `-WhatIf`. Just keep in mind that not all authors implement it within their functions, so some experimentation might be needed!

You might want to explore the -WhatIf parameter instead. Not all cmdlets support it, but it's a handy tool for checking what a script will do without it actually running. Maybe your coworker was talking about a script that utilizes the $dryRun variable to apply -WhatIf when it’s set to true!

It sounds like a basic implementation of cmdletbinding with something like 'if ($pscmdlet.shouldprocess()) {...}' to check for actions. It's a good approach to safely test scripts!