HTML tables add   in place of empty string input

[jbruett]

v. 0.7.21.110

When passing an object to a table where the input is an empty string the HTML formatter enters a non-breaking space token ( ), and Word formats it as empty input. If i change it to $null instead of [string]::empty HTML formats it correctly but i get an error from word.

Here's the code to reproduce

$doc = Document -Name Table-Test {
    Section -Name htmlfail {
        $input = New-Object -type psobject | Select Prop1, Prop2, Prop3
        $input.prop1 = 'Ok'
        $input.prop2 = [string]::Empty
        $input.prop3 = 'also ok'
        $input | table -columns Prop1, Prop2, Prop3 -Headers 'Property 1', 'Property 2', 'Property 3'
    }
    Section -Name wordfail {
        $input = New-Object -type psobject | Select Prop1, Prop2, Prop3
        $input.prop1 = 'Ok'
        $input.prop2 = $null
        $input.prop3 = 'also ok'
        $input | table -columns Prop1, Prop2, Prop3 -Headers 'Property 1', 'Property 2', 'Property 3'
    }
}

$doc | export-document -format html,word -path .\

Here's the specific error I get from Word

PSMessageDetails      :
Exception             : System.Management.Automation.RuntimeException: You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
                           at CallSite.Target(Closure , CallSite , Object )
                           at System.Dynamic.UpdateDelegates.UpdateAndExecute1[T0,TRet](CallSite site, T0 arg0)
                           at CallSite.Target(Closure , CallSite , Object )
                           at OutWordTable<Process>(Closure , FunctionContext )
TargetObject          :
CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull
ErrorDetails          :
InvocationInfo        : System.Management.Automation.InvocationInfo
ScriptStackTrace      : at OutWordTable<Process>, <No file>: line 538
                        at OutWordSection<Process>, <No file>: line 86
                        at OutWord<Process>, <No file>: line 57
                        at Export-Document<Process>, <No file>: line 64
                        at <ScriptBlock>, <No file>: line 18
PipelineIterationInfo : {}

[iainbrighton]

@jbruett Thanks for reporting - I had already picked up on the Word error, but not noticed the HTML output. Can you check whether the Dev branch fixes this for you?

[jbruett]

Sure does! both examples above run, give expected output and no errors! thanks for the fast turnaround on this Iain!!!

[tpcarman]

Great work @iainbrighton! This was troubling me but I had thought it was my code. Everything looks good in your update. Any chance of pushing this to master and PSGallery as I have a demo coming in a couple of weeks? I'd love users to be able to get hold of this release after my demo.