PowerShell 5 class: Import module needed for type

Question

I have a written a PowerShell 5 class:

class ConnectionManager
{

  # Public Properties
  static [String] $SiteUrl
  static [System.Management.Automation.PSCredential] $Credentials
  static [SharePointPnP.PowerShell.Commands.Base.SPOnlineConnection] $Connection
  ...
}

The type "SharePointPnP.PowerShell.Commands.Base.SPOnlineConnection" is from a custom (installed module), named "SharePointPnPPowerShell2016"

My class is inside another module/file, called "connection.manager.psm1".

When I load this module to make use of this class, it returns me the following error:

> Import-Module connection.manager.psm1
At connection.manager.psm1:6 char:11
+   static [SharePointPnP.PowerShell.Commands.Base.SPOnlineConnection]  ...
+           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unable to find type
[SharePointPnP.PowerShell.Commands.Base.SPOnlineConnection].

When I manually load the (PNP) module in the PowerShell session before loading my module it is loaded correctly and I can use it.

But I don't want to always have to manually load the other module first before I use my module. I tried to import the PNP-Module directly inside my module by adding:

Import-Module "SharePointPnPPowerShell2016"

at the beginning, before the class declaration, but it changes nothing, the error "Unable to find type" still appears.

Any ideas how to do this correctly?

Answer 1

I think you can fix this problem by using a module manifest

There is a "Required Module" and a "required Assembly" section you could use. This should handle loading the requirements (as long as they are installed) when you load your custom module, which holds the class.