What does 2>&1 Mean in PowerShell

I have the following script:


if( $timeout -ne $null )
{
& $var$timeout 2>&1 > $logDir\$logName
}
else
{
& $var2>&1 > $logDir\$logName
}

I'm curious about what `2>&1` is; or, what it represents. I don't know what it's called, otherwise, I'd look it up.

It redirects standard error (the 2) to the same place as standard output (the 1)

The docs are your friends. From `PS> man about_Redirection`

The Windows PowerShell redirection operators are as follows.

Operator Description Example
-------- ---------------------- ------------------------------
<snip>

2>&1 Sends errors (2) and Get-Process none, Powershell 2>&1
success output (1)
to the success
output stream.

<snip>

The syntax of the redirection operators is as follows:

<input> <operator> [<path>\]<file>

If the specified file already exists, the redirection operators that do not
append data (> and n>) overwrite the current contents of the file without
warning. However, if the file is a read-only, hidden, or system file, the
redirection fails. The append redirection operators (>> and n>>) do not
write to a read-only file, but they append content to a system or hidden
file.