# Cant open path from xml file? what am i doing wrong? **URL:** \ **Category:** PowerShell Help\ **Created:** [October 13, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/cant-open-path-from-xml-file-what-am-i-doing-wrong/9517 "2017-10-13T13:56:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![longquo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecb155/32.png) [@longquo](https://forums.powershell.org/u/longquo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/cant-open-path-from-xml-file-what-am-i-doing-wrong/9517/1 "2017-10-13T13:56:55Z")
xml file: [AppDeployToolkitConfig.xml - Pastebin.com](https://pastebin.com/5QJFnFyW) ``` $xmlfile = "c:\tmp\AppDeployToolkitConfig.xml" $oXMLDocument = New-Object System.XML.XMLDocument $oXMLDocument.Load($xmlfile) $openlogDir = $($oXMLDocument.AppDeployToolkit_Config.Toolkit_Options.Toolkit_LogPath) [string]$envWinDir = $env:WINDIR Write-host $openlogDir explorer $openlogDir ``` get this error Invoke-Item : Cannot find path ‘C:$envWinDir\Logs\Software’ because it does not exist. but the write-host seem fine?? $envWinDir\Logs\Software This works fine invoke-item C:\Windows\Logs\Software ---
**Author:** ![postanote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@postanote](https://forums.powershell.org/u/postanote)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 2:23pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/cant-open-path-from-xml-file-what-am-i-doing-wrong/9517/2 "2017-10-13T14:23:31Z")
Well, firstly, this… $envWinDir\Logs\Software … is wrong. There is no such variable in the system. It should be … $env:WinDir\Logs\Software …notice the required colon. List all environment variables this way Get-Childitem -Path env:\ Pick environment variables this way… $env:[Choose one from the environment listing above] ---
**Author:** ![matt-bloomfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dec6dc/32.png) [@matt-bloomfield](https://forums.powershell.org/u/matt-bloomfield)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 2:32pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/cant-open-path-from-xml-file-what-am-i-doing-wrong/9517/3 "2017-10-13T14:32:26Z")
I agree with postanote that the syntax of the path in the XML file is incorrect. Your handling of the XML file also seems a bit convoluted. I would do something like this: ``` [xml]$xml = Get-Content E:\__Temp\appdeploytoolkitconfig.xml $openlogDir = $xml.AppDeployToolkit_Config.Toolkit_Options.Toolkit_LogPath ``` ---
**Author:** ![longquo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecb155/32.png) [@longquo](https://forums.powershell.org/u/longquo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 3:15pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/cant-open-path-from-xml-file-what-am-i-doing-wrong/9517/4 "2017-10-13T15:15:59Z")
the xml it not mine but from the toolkit to fix the env i do this [string]$envWinDir = $env:WINDIR but it does not work… ---
**Author:** ![longquo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecb155/32.png) [@longquo](https://forums.powershell.org/u/longquo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 3:22pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/cant-open-path-from-xml-file-what-am-i-doing-wrong/9517/5 "2017-10-13T15:22:02Z")
your sample open quick access should do a replace string?? $envWinDir\Logs\Software to $env:WinDir\Logs\Software ---
**Author:** ![postanote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@postanote](https://forums.powershell.org/u/postanote)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/cant-open-path-from-xml-file-what-am-i-doing-wrong/9517/6 "2017-10-13T18:27:55Z")
Yes, as stated, that $envWinDir is not a correct environment variable. However, # # Well… Let’s just walk through this shall we… PS D:\Scripts\> ‘Define the path to the XML file’ ($xmlfile = “D:\Scripts\AppDeployToolkitConfig.xml”) Test-Path -Path $xmlfile Define the path to the XML file D:\Scripts\AppDeployToolkitConfig.xml True PS D:\Scripts\> 'Creating a new object ’ ($oXMLDocument = New-Object System.XML.XMLDocument) Creating a new object NodeType : Document ParentNode : DocumentType : Implementation : System.Xml.XmlImplementation Name : #document LocalName : #document … PS D:\Scripts\> ‘load the xml file’ ($oXMLDocument.Load($xmlfile)) load the xml file Exception calling “Load” with “1” argument(s): “There is no Unicode byte order mark. Cannot switch to Unicode.” At line:2 char:1 - ($oXMLDocument.Load($xmlfile)) - ```auto + CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : DotNetMethodException ``` PS D:\Scripts\> ‘open the logdir per the xml document options path’ ($openlogDir = $($oXMLDocument.AppDeployToolkit\_Config.Toolkit\_Options.Toolkit\_LogPath)) Test-Path -Path $openlogDir open the logdir per the xml document options path Test-Path : Cannot bind argument to parameter ‘Path’ because it is null. At line:3 char:17 - Test-Path -Path $openlogDir - ``` ~~~~~~~~~~~ ``` - CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (🙂 [Test-Path], ParameterBindingValidationException - FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationErrorNullNotAllowed,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.TestPathCommand PS D:\Scripts\> ‘Get the Windows directory’ ([string]$envWinDir) Test-Path -Path $envWinDir Get the Windows directory Test-Path : Cannot bind argument to parameter ‘Path’ because it is null. At line:3 char:17 - Test-Path -Path $envWinDir - ``` ~~~~~~~~~~ ``` - CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (🙂 [Test-Path], ParameterBindingValidationException - FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationErrorNullNotAllowed,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.TestPathCommand PS D:\Scripts\> ‘Open the logdir based on options settings’ Test-Path -Path $openlogDir Open the logdir based on options settings Test-Path : Cannot bind argument to parameter ‘Path’ because it is null. At line:2 char:17 - Test-Path -Path $openlogDir - ``` ~~~~~~~~~~~ ``` - CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (🙂 [Test-Path], ParameterBindingValidationException - FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationErrorNullNotAllowed,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.TestPathCommand ######################## # So, based on the above, ther are problems well before you start hitting the path stuff. The reality of your file’s encoding appears to conflict with that specified by your XML declaration. If your file actually uses one-byte characters, declaring encoding=“utf-16” won’t change it to use two-byte characters, for example. Try removing the conflicting encoding from the XML declaration. Replace with You may also be able to load the file into a string as a work-around using LoadXML(). ---
**Author:** ![postanote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@postanote](https://forums.powershell.org/u/postanote)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/cant-open-path-from-xml-file-what-am-i-doing-wrong/9517/7 "2017-10-13T18:35:01Z")
I meant to add this but hit send to soon. Point of note : I do not have the AppDeployToolKit in my environment as it is not needed for what I do at this time # After commenting out the version entry in the XML file ########## xml version=“1.0” encoding=“utf-16” ########## ‘Define the path to the XML file’ ($xmlfile = “D:\Scripts\AppDeployToolkitConfig.xml”) Test-Path -Path $xmlfile 'Creating a new object ’ ($oXMLDocument = New-Object System.XML.XMLDocument) ‘load the xml file’ ($oXMLDocument.Load($xmlfile)) ‘open the logdir per the xml document options path’ ($openlogDir = $($oXMLDocument.AppDeployToolkit\_Config.Toolkit\_Options.Toolkit\_LogPath)) Test-Path -Path $openlogDir ‘Get the Windows directory’ ([string]$envWinDir = $env:windir) Test-Path -Path $envWinDir ‘Open the logdir based on options settings’ Test-Path -Path $openlogDir ‘open the logdir’ explorer $openlogDir # get this error # Invoke-Item : Cannot find path ‘C:$envWinDir\Logs\Software’ because it does not exist. # but the write-host seem fine?? “$envWinDir\Logs\Software” # This works fine invoke-item ‘C:\Windows\Logs\Software’ # Resutls PS D:\Scripts\> ‘Define the path to the XML file’ ($xmlfile = “D:\Scripts\AppDeployToolkitConfig.xml”) Test-Path -Path $xmlfile Define the path to the XML file D:\Scripts\AppDeployToolkitConfig.xml True PS D:\Scripts\> 'Creating a new object ’ ($oXMLDocument = New-Object System.XML.XMLDocument) Creating a new object NodeType : Document ParentNode : DocumentType : Implementation : System.Xml.XmlImplementation Name : #document LocalName : #document DocumentElement : OwnerDocument : Schemas : System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchemaSet XmlResolver : NameTable : System.Xml.NameTable PreserveWhitespace : False IsReadOnly : False InnerText : InnerXml : SchemaInfo : System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchemaInfo BaseURI : Value : ChildNodes : {} PreviousSibling : NextSibling : Attributes : FirstChild : LastChild : HasChildNodes : False NamespaceURI : Prefix : OuterXml : PreviousText : PS D:\Scripts\> ‘load the xml file’ ($oXMLDocument.Load($xmlfile)) load the xml file PS D:\Scripts\> ‘open the logdir per the xml document options path’ ($openlogDir = $($oXMLDocument.AppDeployToolkit\_Config.Toolkit\_Options.Toolkit\_LogPath)) Test-Path -Path $openlogDir open the logdir per the xml document options path $envWinDir\Logs\Software False PS D:\Scripts\> ([string]$envWinDir = $env:windir) Test-Path -Path $envWinDir C:\WINDOWS True PS D:\Scripts\> ‘Open the logdir based on options settings’ Test-Path -Path $openlogDir Open the logdir based on options settings False ---
**Author:** ![longquo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecb155/32.png) [@longquo](https://forums.powershell.org/u/longquo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 5:56am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/cant-open-path-from-xml-file-what-am-i-doing-wrong/9517/8 "2017-10-14T05:56:38Z")
``` [xml]$xml = Get-Content "$scriptPath\AppDeployToolkit\AppDeployToolkitConfig.xml" $openlogDir = $xml.AppDeployToolkit_Config.Toolkit_Options.Toolkit_LogPath $logPath = $openlogDir -replace '\$envWinDir', $env:WinDir return $logPath ``` I did a replace to get around the wrong env ---
**Author:** ![dotnVo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@dotnVo](https://forums.powershell.org/u/dotnVo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2024, 8:37pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/cant-open-path-from-xml-file-what-am-i-doing-wrong/9517/9 "2024-05-16T20:37:24Z")