Multiple where clause inside variable

PowerShell Help
1

Can anyone help me with the syntax here, if it’s possible?
Basically, I’m trying to create a variable with some filters to add to a where clause.

I would like to have a configuration variable that is used later in the code.

For example:

$ProfileFilter="*_test","*local"

Get-UserProfiles | where-object {$_.username -notin $ProfileFilter}

Not sure if I need to modify the syntax on the variable or use a different operator, etc.

Thanks

2

Hmmm… The -like operator is designed to work with only one wildcard filter at a time; it won’t handle multiple.

For cases like this, I’d recommend the -match operator (or -notmatch in this case). It uses regex, but once you get past that little hurdle it’s very neat for relatively straightforward asks like this. | in regex is “or”, so we’ll make use of that, and note also that regex is a partial match by default, so we need less wildcards if that’s what you want here (string ending in either of those terms).

$ProfileFilter = "(_test|local)$"

Get-UserProfiles | where-object {$_.username -notmatch $ProfileFilter}

That match string essentially says “we want either of these two things in the parentheses, and immediately after that we should have the end of the string”. $ is the “end of string” anchor in regex.

3

The purpose of the variable is to make it easy for someone else to configure how the script will work. They need to be able to enter plain text, not a regex.

Thanks for the idea though.

I could put the entire where clause in a variable, including the -or operators. I really want to make it simpler than that for the person running the script though.

4

Not exactly sure what you’re after or what the issue is.
But to me it sounds like you should parameterize the script.
So that the script/function doesn’t need to be modified in code for the scenarios you want to cover.

5

You can also combine the solution of Fredrik and Joel

param(
    [string[]]$Filter
)

$FilterRegex = $Filter -join '|'

Get-UserProfiles | where-object {$_.username -notmatch $FilterRegex}

Script usage

MyScript.ps1 -Filter '_test','local'
6

This is a huge script with a GUI. It is being run like it is an application. It already has a separate configuration file with about 30 variables that are user configurable.

7

can you show us how you want the script to be called with an example ?

8

I right-click the script and run with Powershell. Then it opens the gui.

9

You could explain more, What the UI will ask for ? Are you giving any inputs via textbox ? if so what all you will be giving as input. If possible please share the screenshot with your expected inputs.

10

I clicking a button that calls a function. The function lists all the user profiles on the computer. Then it populates a gridview with the list. I want to filter out profiles that match a certain criteria. I do not want profiles to be listed if they end with a certain substring.