# Help with piping a command output to a variable

**URL:** <https://forums.powershell.org/t/help-with-piping-a-command-output-to-a-variable/1555>\
**Category:** PowerShell Help\
**Created:** [December 31, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/help-with-piping-a-command-output-to-a-variable/1555 "2011-12-31T18:30:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![archives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@archives](https://forums.powershell.org/u/archives)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/help-with-piping-a-command-output-to-a-variable/1555/1 "2011-12-31T18:30:00Z")

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by gte at 2013-01-11 13:19:13

> Hello,  
>   
> I’m new to powershell but am well versed in C sharp so I’m not new to programming. I can’t figure out how to pipe the output of this command into a variable instead of a text file, so that I can then join it with another variable and write a single output line to a text file.  
>   
> `Get-MailboxDatabase -Identity $dbpath | Get-Mailbox | get-random | Get-NamedProperty | FT PropertyID >> "c:\Temp\mbdboutput1.txt"`  
>   
> Something along the lines of what’s below. Thanks for reading.  
>   
> `$server = [value from foreach loop]$propId = Get-MailboxDatabase -Identity $dbpath | Get-Mailbox | get-random | Get-NamedProperty | FT PropertyID$server + " " + $propId >> "c:\Temp\mbdboutput1.txt"`

by ArtB0514 at 2013-01-14 06:25:02

> Whenever something in PowerShell doesn’t do what you expect, one of the first things to do is to run Get-Help -Full (or -Online) on the command that’s causing trouble. In your case, the problem command is Format-Table. If you check the OUTPUTS description for Format-Table, you will see that it produces [quote]OUTPUTS  
> Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format  
> Format-Table returns format objects that represent the table.[/quote]  
> This means that your $propID object doesn’t contain the properties that you are looking for, but instead has PowerShell internal format objects. What you really want to do is this]$propId = Get-MailboxDatabase -Identity $dbpath | Get-Mailbox | get-random | Get-NamedProperty   
> Format-Table $propID[/powershell]

by gte at 2013-01-14 07:19:17

> Hello,  
>   
> Thanks for the reply. The code you provided is still giving me an error. I have Powershell 1 if that makes a difference.   
>   
> I did do the get-help command as you suggested after Get-NamedProperty and I see the following  
>   
> [quote]  
> $propId = Get-MailboxDatabase -Identity $dbpath | Get-Mailbox | get-random | Get-NamedProperty \<\<\<\< get-help  
> + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (Lipscomb, Connie:PSObject) [Get-NamedProperty], ParameterBinding   
> Exception  
> + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InputObjectNotBound,Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Powershell.Support.GetNamedPrope   
> rty  
> [/quote]

by ArtB0514 at 2013-01-15 06:22:43

> I assume that you are running the Exchange Management Shell. You might want to read the primer: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb245704(EXCHG.80).aspx. You might also want to check out http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/183.windows-powershell-survival-guide.aspx.  
>   
> Get-Help is not a property that you can feed into the -Identity parameter for Get-NamedProperty. Try it this way:  
>   
> `Get-Help Get-NamedProperty -Full`

by gte at 2013-01-15 10:08:30

> Ok, thank you

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**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, 8:57pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/help-with-piping-a-command-output-to-a-variable/1555/2 "2024-05-16T20:57:57Z")

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