Powershell File database comparison with drive letter variable input [duplicate] - database

Question

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Pass object[] into a function in PowerShell
(1 answer)
Closed 4 years ago.
I'm building a tool that will scan my files and a friend's files. We will use this to make sure we have the same files in our databases. The script I have so far has a variable input issue. For some reason, the PowerShell script fails on my drive letter input. Anyone have any ideas?
Here is my script:
{
function Show-Menu {
param (
[string] $Title = "Andy's Manual Database Tool"
)
Clear-Host
Write-Host ""
Write-Host "================ $Title ================"
Write-Host ""
Write-Host -f Green "1. Andys Files listing"
Write-Host -f green "2. Reids files listing"
Write-Host -f Red "3. Dark Matter Testing"
Write-Host "4. Convert .txt to .csv"
Write-Host "5. Convert Blank File to .csv"
Write-Host "6. Convert .csv to .txt"
}
Function Body {
Show-Menu
Write-Host ""
$Input = Read-Host "Please make a selection"
if ($Input -eq "1") {
Clear-Host
$root = Read-Host -Prompt 'Specify the location of Database? Example format: C:\*'
$y = read-host -Prompt 'Input file types. Format Example: " .jpg,.mp4,.mp3,.pdf .... " Do * for all'
$z = Read-Host -Prompt 'Your Save file name will be? Examples: Movies database , Music database , audiobooks.'
Get-ChildItem -Path $root -File -Recurse *.$y | Select-Object -Property Name | Export-Csv -NoTypeInformation $z Andy.csv
}
if ($Input -eq "2") {
Clear-Host
$root = Read-Host -Prompt 'Specify the location of Database? Example format: C:\*'
$y = read-host -Prompt 'Input file types. File Format Examples: " .jpg,.mp4,.mp3,.pdf .... " Do * for all'
$z = Read-Host -Prompt 'Your Save file name will be? Examples: Movies database , Music database , audiobooks.'
Get-ChildItem -Path $root -File -Recurse *.$y | Select-Object -Property Name | Export-Csv -NoTypeInformation $z' From Reid.csv'
}
if ($Input -eq "3") { Get-Process | Stop-Process }
if ($Input -eq "4") {
Clear-Host
Get-ChildItem *.txt | rename-item -newname { $_.name -replace ".txt",".csv" }
}
if ($Input -eq "5") {
Clear-Host
Get-ChildItem * -Exclude *.ps1,*.CSV,*.TXT | rename-item -newname { "$($_.name).CSV" }
}
if ($Input -eq "6") {
Clear-Host
Get-ChildItem *.csv | rename-item -newname { $_.name -replace ".csv",".txt" }
}
Write-Host 'Complete! ^_^'
Start-Sleep -seconds 5
Body
}
Body
}
This issue is here, from the script above:
$root = Read-Host -Prompt 'Specify the location of Database? Example format: C:\*'
$y = read-host -Prompt 'Input file types. Format Example: " .jpg,.mp4,.mp3,.pdf .... " Do * for all'
$z = Read-Host -Prompt 'Your Save file name will be? Examples: Movies database , Music database , audiobooks.'
Get-ChildItem -Path $root -File -Recurse *.$y |
Select-Object -Property Name |
Export-Csv -NoTypeInformation $z Andy.csv
I'm using $root as an input for my drive letter or location path which is the problem.

Answer 1

There a few minor issues.
$z Andy.csv Needs to be changed to "$z Andy.csv". You will notice when you ran this before you would of received the following message:
Export-Csv : Cannot bind parameter 'Delimiter'. Cannot convert value
"Andy.csv" to type "System.Char". Error: "String must be exactly one
character long."
Get-ChildItem -Path $root -File -Recurse *.$y Needs to be changed to Get-ChildItem -Path "$root" -Recurse -Include "*$y" - You are prompting the user to put in file extension with .<extension> (assigned to $y) then you are trying to filter with $y
Ex:$y = read-host -Prompt 'Input file types. Format Example: " .jpg,.mp4,.mp3,.pdf .... " Do * for all'
Issue: "*.$y" this would equal "..extension". Your results would then be 0 (unless you had a file with ..jpg or something like that)
Corrected:
if ($Input -eq "1") {
Clear-Host
$root = Read-Host -Prompt 'Specify the location of Database? Example format: C:\*'
$y = read-host -Prompt 'Input file types. Format Example: " .jpg,.mp4,.mp3,.pdf .... " Do * for all'
$z = Read-Host -Prompt 'Your Save file name will be? Examples: Movies database , Music database , audiobooks.'
Get-ChildItem -Path "$root" -Recurse -Include "*$y" | Select Name | Export-Csv -NoTypeInformation "$z Andy.csv"
}
You should be able to correct the rest of your script following the "Corrected" example.
EDIT:
Credit to TheIncredible1
There are automatic variables that should never be used other than for their intended purpose. In your case $Input:
Contains an enumerator that enumerates all input that is passed to a
function. The $input variable is available only to functions and
script blocks (which are unnamed functions). In the Process block of a
function, the $input variable enumerates the object that is currently
in the pipeline. When the Process block completes, there are no
objects left in the pipeline, so the $input variable enumerates an
empty collection. If the function does not have a Process block, then
in the End block, the $input variable enumerates the collection of all
input to the function.
However, in this case it should not effect your outcome. But, it is a very bad habit to get into and is best to be avoided.