René's URL Explorer Experiment

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"`Get-Uptime -Since` ignores an explicit `$false` value","articleBody":"### Prerequisites\n\n- [x] Write a descriptive title.\n- [x] Make sure you are able to repro it on the [latest released version](https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/releases)\n- [x] Search the existing issues.\n- [x] Refer to the [FAQ](https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/blob/master/docs/FAQ.md).\n- [x] Refer to [Differences between Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell](https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/scripting/whats-new/differences-from-windows-powershell).\n\n### Steps to reproduce\n\n```powershell\n(Get-Uptime).GetType().Name               # TimeSpan\n(Get-Uptime -Since).GetType().Name        # DateTime\n(Get-Uptime -Since:$false).GetType().Name # DateTime, should be TimeSpan\n```\n\n### Expected behavior\n\n```powershell\n# TimeSpan\n# DateTime\n# TimeSpan\n```\n\n### Actual behavior\n\n```powershell\n# TimeSpan\n# DateTime\n# DateTime\n```\n\n### Context\n\n- `Get-Uptime` emits a `[timespan]` object by default or `[datetime]` with `-Since`.\n- If `-Since` is explicitly provided a `$false` value (`-Since:$false`/hash table splatting), the type is unexpectedly `[datetime]`.\n    - `-Since`/`-Since:$true` and `-Since:$false` **result in identical behavior**.\n- `Get-Uptime` uses the selected parameter set to determine output type, which is tied to the **_presence_** of the `-Since` switch, **_not_** its **_value_**.\n\nhttps://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/blob/df248bd7828883f48a72708e82e1f159724bcc34/src/Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Utility/commands/utility/GetUptime.cs#L39-L49\n\nDespite it being uncommon to specify an explicit `$false` switch (and arguably against its intention), I believe the current `Get-Uptime` behavior still amounts to a bug.\n\n- Specifying `$false` is permitted by the language and the `Get-Uptime` result subverts reasonable user expectation.\n- There are valid use cases for this (e.g., dynamically retrieving the boolean from another source).\n- Other cmdlets with parameter sets tied to a switch respect an explicit `$false` value (e.g., `'foo' | Select-String f -Raw:$false`)\n\n```powershell\n# Simulate dynamic retrieval of the boolean.\n$getDateTimeOutput = $false\n\nGet-Uptime -Since:$getDateTimeOutput\n# Or...\n$params = @{ Since = $getDateTimeOutput }\nGet-Uptime @params\n\n# Get-Uptime still unexpectedly emits [datetime] output.\n\n```\n\n### Environment data\n\n```powershell\nName                           Value\n----                           -----\nPSVersion                      7.6.0-preview.2\nPSEdition                      Core\nGitCommitId                    7.6.0-preview.2\nOS                             Microsoft Windows 10.0.19045\nPlatform                       Win32NT\nPSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 5.1…}\nPSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3\nSerializationVersion           1.1.0.1\nWSManStackVersion              3.0\n```","author":{"url":"https://github.com/surfingoldelephant","@type":"Person","name":"surfingoldelephant"},"datePublished":"2025-02-14T10:05:34.000Z","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":"https://schema.org/CommentAction","userInteractionCount":16},"url":"https://github.com/25015/PowerShell/issues/25015"}