Feature Request: Import-PowershellDataFile should accept string input

Summary of the new feature/enhancement

Currently Import-PowershellDataFile takes a path to a file on disk. But what if I have the .psd1 content in memory? (Such as in a string, as downloaded from AzDO or github or such.)

Proposed technical implementation details (optional)

Another parameter set that accepts a string.

[mklement0]

As an alternative to a new cmdlet, we could think about generalizing @JamesWTruher’s idea proposed in the context of https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/issues/4332#issuecomment-643486358: To allow targeting a variable via a provider path; e.g.:

$dataFileContent = ... # read *.psd1 file into memory

Import-PowerShellData -LiteralPath variable:dataFileContent

All file-processing cmdlets could benefit from this, notably Import-CliXml / Export-CliXml, which would obviate the need to implement #3898 (separate ConvertTo/From-CliXml cmdlets).

I’ve always felt that the current dichotomy - one cmdlet for in-memory operations, another for file operations - is clumsy, both in terms of UX and implementation.

[vexx32]

Yeah looks like they explicitly check for other providers and prevent them from being used.

IMO they should just… not, really. 😂

New-WordCloud from my PSWordCloud module allows this kind of functionality (writing to arbitrary PSProviders). The only real issue I ran into was that not all providers (the variable provider is one of these) support the Content.Clear() operation, so you do have to catch that and (probably) swap it for an Item.Remove() operation instead (if the provider supports that) if you want to be able to do Set-Content style things which clear data before writing.