# Importing XML String with Powershell variables

**URL:** <https://forums.powershell.org/t/importing-xml-string-with-powershell-variables/727>\
**Category:** PowerShell Help\
**Created:** [December 31, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/importing-xml-string-with-powershell-variables/727 "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/importing-xml-string-with-powershell-variables/727/1 "2011-12-31T18:30:00Z")

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by mk.maddin at 2013-03-15 12:03:26

> Hey [Powershell.org](http://Powershell.org) community,  
>   
> With `$xml = ([xml](Get-Content -LiteralPath "C] i am importing an xml like this:<xml>	<path>$env:USERPROFILE\testpath</path></xml>.But when i give out $xml i don’t get "C:\USERS\MYUSERNAME\testpath" what i get is "$env:USERPROFILE\testpath".How can i get powershell to interpret the given variables?Thank you for helpmk.maddin`

by DonJ at 2013-03-15 12:08:41

> &$var will execute what’s in $var.

by mk.maddin at 2013-03-16 01:40:52

> Hey DonJ,  
>   
> Thanks for your reply.  
> But i can’t get it work.  
> using `$xml = ([xml](Get-Content -LiteralPath "C:\anypath\config.xml")).Xml$xml.path`  
> together with:  
> [code2=xml]\<xml\>  
> \<path\>&$env:USERPROFILE\testpath\</path\>  
> \</xml\>[/code2]  
>   
> I’m getting Error:  
> Cannot convert value "System.Object" to type "System.Xml.XmlDocument". Error: "An error occurred while parsing EntityName.   
> Line 2, position 11."  
> At C:\anypath\Untitled1.ps1:1 char:1  
> + $xml = ([xml](Get-Content -LiteralPath "C:\anypath\config.xml")).Xml  
> + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (🙂 , RuntimeException  
> + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastToXmlDocument  
>   
> Using `$xml = ([xml](Get-Content -LiteralPath "C:\anypath\config.xml")).Xml&$xml.path`  
> together with:  
> [code2=xml]\<xml\>  
> \<path\>$env:USERPROFILE\testpath\</path\>  
> \</xml\>[/code2]  
>   
> I’m getting Error:  
> & : The term ‘$env:USERPROFILE\testpath’ is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable   
> program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.  
> At C:\anypath\Untitled1.ps1:2 char:2  
> + &$xml.path  
> + ~~~~~~~~~  
> + CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: ($env:USERPROFILE\testpath:String) , CommandNotFoundException  
> + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException  
>   
> What am I doing wrong?

by DonJ at 2013-03-16 08:07:18

> Part of the problem is that you’re overthinking it. Load the XML like this:  
>   
> `[xml]$xml = Get-Content filename.xml`  
>   
> You don’t need all that other stuff. Second, if you manually just try **$xml.path** , you’ll see that it doesn’t return anything. $xml represents the document. Under that, you have an \<xml\> node, then \<path\>. So it’s **$xml.xml.path** to get to it.  
>   
> Third, the second error you’re getting is because & evaluates the string, and the \<path\> you provide is not a path - it’s a variable. ENV: would be the start of a path; $env is a variable. They both go to the same place, but the shell treats them differently. You need to expand the string:  
>   
> `PS C:&gt; $ExecutionContext.InvokeCommand.ExpandString($xml.xml.path)C:\Users\Administrator\testpath`

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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, 9:03pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/importing-xml-string-with-powershell-variables/727/2 "2024-05-16T21:03:44Z")

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