gistfile1.txt

# Let's set the terminal to terminate scripts on 
# the first error of a script
PS /home/chris/test/stderrtest> $ErrorActionPreference='Stop'

# So, let's take a look at a simple c program.

PS /home/chris/test/stderrtest> cat ./test.c
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    fprintf(stderr, "message 1\n");
    fprintf(stderr, "message 2\n");
}

# Output of program
PS /home/chris/test/stderrtest> ./a.out
message 1
message 2

# Let's redirect the output from stderr to stdout
PS /home/chris/test/stderrtest> ./a.out 2>&1
message 1

# What happened to message 2?
# Let's redirect stderr to a file
PS /home/chris/test/stderrtest> ./a.out 2> doom
message 1

# What? Why did we see message 1?
# Let's look at the file
PS /home/chris/test/stderrtest> wc -c doom
0 doom

# It's empty!

# Let's get rid of the error preference
PS /home/chris/test/stderrtest> $ErrorActionPreference='Continue'

# Redirect the file output
PS /home/chris/test/stderrtest> ./a.out 2> doom

# view contents
PS /home/chris/test/stderrtest> cat doom
message 1
message 2

# Works as expected.