# Select-string issue (trying to get rid of file name and line #)

**URL:** <https://forums.powershell.org/t/select-string-issue-trying-to-get-rid-of-file-name-and-line/14807>\
**Category:** PowerShell Help\
**Created:** [August 16, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/select-string-issue-trying-to-get-rid-of-file-name-and-line/14807 "2020-08-16T17:04:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![powersam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecae2f/32.png) [@powersam](https://forums.powershell.org/u/powersam)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/select-string-issue-trying-to-get-rid-of-file-name-and-line/14807/1 "2020-08-16T17:04:31Z")

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I have csv file likes this

abc.csv

HostName,Processor,memory,HD\_size  
PC101,4,16G,256G  
SRV101,6,64,4096G  
SRV102,4,16,4096G  
SRV103,6,32,4096G  
SRV104,6,64,4096G  
PC102,4,16G,256G  
PC103,4,6G,128G  
PC104,2,4G,64G

Select-string -Pattern PC101 -path .\abc.csv

abc.csv:2:PC101,4,16G,256G

How can I get rid of filename and line#?

I prefer output likes this:

PC101,4,16G,256G

Thanks,

Sam

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**Author:** ![krzydoug](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/krzydoug/32/1008_2.png) [@krzydoug](https://forums.powershell.org/u/krzydoug)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/select-string-issue-trying-to-get-rid-of-file-name-and-line/14807/2 "2020-08-16T18:34:34Z")

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Don’t use Select-String? Why are you using it when you could simply do this.

`Import-CSV abc.csv | where hostname -eq 'PC101'`

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**Author:** ![kpatnayakuni](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/kpatnayakuni/32/19_2.png) [@kpatnayakuni](https://forums.powershell.org/u/kpatnayakuni)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 9:31pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/select-string-issue-trying-to-get-rid-of-file-name-and-line/14807/3 "2020-08-16T21:31:26Z")

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This will work…

[pre]

Select-string -Pattern PC101 -path .\abc.csv | Format-Wide Line

# or

(Select-string -Pattern PC101 -path .\abc.csv).Line

[/pre]

Thank you.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![powersam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecae2f/32.png) [@powersam](https://forums.powershell.org/u/powersam)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 3:49am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/select-string-issue-trying-to-get-rid-of-file-name-and-line/14807/4 "2020-08-17T03:49:33Z")

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The org file is about 4000 - 5000 records CSV file. Every week, I have a list of 300-400 new build to verify hardware configuration.

If I use “where”, it takes forever. If I use select-string, it is much faster.

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**Author:** ![js2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ebca7d/32.png) [@js2010](https://forums.powershell.org/u/js2010)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 4:34am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/select-string-issue-trying-to-get-rid-of-file-name-and-line/14807/5 "2020-08-17T04:34:47Z")

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Welcome to the matrix. In reality, select-string returns a matchinfo object. The default custom view puts filename and linenumber in front of the result “line” joined by colons. This is defined in a .format.ps1xml file somewhere, I think $pshome\PowerShellCore.format.ps1xml. Get-date also returns a custom view by default. Most commands have a default table view.

```
get-childitem file | select-string hi | format-custom

file:1:hi

get-childitem file | select-string hi | format-list

IgnoreCase : True
LineNumber : 1
Line : hi
Filename : file
Path : C:\Users\admin\foo\file
Pattern : hi
Context :
Matches : {0}

get-childitem file | select-string hi | % line

hi
```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![krzydoug](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/krzydoug/32/1008_2.png) [@krzydoug](https://forums.powershell.org/u/krzydoug)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 5:15am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/select-string-issue-trying-to-get-rid-of-file-name-and-line/14807/6 "2020-08-17T05:15:17Z")

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This answer seems perfect then.

> (Select-string -Pattern PC101 -path .\abc.csv).Line

The same premise but written differently

`Select-string -Pattern PC101 -path .\abc.csv | select -ExpandProperty line`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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, 8:29pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/select-string-issue-trying-to-get-rid-of-file-name-and-line/14807/7 "2024-05-16T20:29:04Z")

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