pass variable with array data to new variable

PowerShell Help
1

I’ve got a function that accepts input (param) and based on the input, runs a switch loop.

    
param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$TRUE)]
        [string[]]$myparam
        )
    
switch ($myparam) {
a {$y = $existingarray}
b{$w = read-host "enter array name";$y = "`$$w"}
} 

foreach ($z in $y) {
dosomething
}

function01 -myparam a
the values in the $existingarray loop through the foreach fine.

function01 -myparam b
Enter array: existingarray
(would like $y = $existingarray)

I guess I’m asking how to take the name of a variable that contains an array of data, and pass the contents of that array to a new variable (which can act as the ‘existingarray’ does).

2

Let’s look at how a function works in Powershell. In your parameters, you are specifying a parameter called $myparam and stipulating that it be mandatory for the function to work. If we create a quick test function:

function Test-It {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$TRUE)]
        [string[]]$myparam
    )

    begin{}
    process{
        foreach( $param in $myparam ) {
            "Processing {0}" -f $param
        }
    }
    end{}
}

If we pass an array, it would process it:

$array = "Red", "Blue", "Green"
Test-It -myparam $array

results in:

Processing Red
Processing Blue
Processing Green

However, if you just call Test-It and do not pass a parameter, Powershell knows it’s mandatory and will automatically prompt for input:

PS C:\Users\Rob> Test-It
cmdlet Test-It at command pipeline position 1
Supply values for the following parameters:
myparam[0]: Yellow
myparam[1]: Blue
myparam[2]: Purple
myparam[3]: 
Processing Yellow
Processing Blue
Processing Purple
3

Thanks, I understand how the parameters work in a function.

$existingarray = 'value01','value02'
function my-array {

   Param(    [Parameter(Mandatory=$TRUE)]
        [string[]]$myparam
        )
    
switch ($myparam) {
a {$y = $existingarray}
b{$w = read-host "enter array name";$y = "`$$w"}
} 

foreach ($z in $y) {
"dosomething $z"
}
}

my-array -myparam a
dosomething value01
dosomething value02

my-array -myparam b
enter array name: myparam
dosomething $myparam

I’d like the results of:
my-array -myparam b
enter array name: myparam

to be:
dosomething value01
dosomething value02

4

Just use “Get-Variable”

PS C:\Users> $s = 1,2,3,4
PS C:\Users> get-variable s

Name Value

s {1, 2, 3, 4}

PS C:\Users> (get-variable s).Value
1
2
3
4

5

Thanks Max.

That was what I was looking for. Below is how I implemented it in my actual code and it works great. Thanks!

		switch ($InputType)
		{
			Array { $ArrayToRead = Read-Host "Enter Array";$GV = Get-Variable -name $ArrayToRead; $PCList = $GV.Value }
			TextFile { $TextFile = Read-Host "Enter Text File path"; $PCList = Get-Content $TextFile }
			StaticList { $PCList = $StaticList }
		} #end switch InputType
6

If you are pre-creating arrays to provide options, why not use validateset:

function Test-It {
    param
        (
        [parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
        [ValidateSet("DEV", "QA", "PROD")]
        [String[]]
        $ServerPool
    ) 

    begin{
        switch ($ServerPool) {
            "DEV"{$servers = "devsrv01", "devsrv02", "devsrv03"}
            "QA"{$servers = "qasrv01", "qavsrv02", "qavsrv03"}
            "PROD"{$servers = "prdvsrv01", "prdsrv02", "prdsrv03"}
        }
    
    }
    process{
        foreach ($server in $servers) {
            "Processing {0}" -f $server
        }

    }
    end{}
}
7

Rob, I’ve got two different functions that produce data arrays, all with a unique name.

I only need one of them to run in the third function, so I guess I could produce Array01, Array02 as switch keys, but this provides the flexibility to pass any array into the third function which is a test-connection script that saves online PCs to a new array variable to be passed along to additional scripts.

My two scripts grab and parse PC names from either ADUC or DHCP Lease records, adds them to an array, passes them to Test-connection and if online sends to a new variable (or optionally outputs to text file), and then those PCs that are online get passed to several different functions depending on what data I need reported on a given online PC.

Thanks for your example.

8

another possible option (require some tuning :slight_smile: )

function Test-It {
param(
	[Parameter(Mandatory=$true, ParameterSetName='array')]
	[array]$Array,
	[Parameter(Mandatory=$true, ParameterSetName='textfile')]
	[string]$TextFile,
	[Parameter(Mandatory=$true, ParameterSetName='default')]
	[switch]$UseDefaultList
)
$StaticList = 'd','e','f','a','u','l','t'

switch ($PsCmdlet.ParameterSetName)
{
	'array' { $PCList = $Array }
	'textfile' { $PCList = Get-Content $TextFile }
	default { $PCList = $StaticList }
}
$PCList
}
'---'
Test-It -Array 1,2,3,4
'---'
Test-It -TextFile d:\111
'---'
Test-It -UseDefaultList