# Understanding a particular PowerShell Array

**URL:** <https://forums.powershell.org/t/understanding-a-particular-powershell-array/1787>\
**Category:** PowerShell Help\
**Created:** [August 10, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/understanding-a-particular-powershell-array/1787 "2013-08-10T22:39:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![guy-thomas](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/guy-thomas/32/912_2.png) [@guy-thomas](https://forums.powershell.org/u/guy-thomas)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/understanding-a-particular-powershell-array/1787/1 "2013-08-10T22:39:35Z")

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I have a working knowledge of PowerShell arrays, however, when I was experimenting with ConvertTo-JSON, I came across a construction that I did not fully understand.

> $Name = @" { array }"@

**Question:**  
What is the significance of the @“…”@ construction?  
Is there an online reference to this type of array?

Here is my full example:

> $Input = @" { "Contacts": [{ "FirstName":"John" , "LastName":"Evans" , "Email":"john.evans@cp.com" }, { "FirstName":"Mira" , "LastName":"Cody" , "Email":"mira.cody@cp.com" }, { "FirstName":"Trevor" , "LastName":"Williams", "Email":"trevor.williams@cp.com" }] } "@ $Victim = $Input | ConvertFrom-Json $Victim.Contacts | Format-Table FirstName, LastName, Email -AutoSize

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**Author:** ![donj](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/donj/32/137_2.png) [@donj](https://forums.powershell.org/u/donj)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/understanding-a-particular-powershell-array/1787/2 "2013-08-11T01:36:23Z")

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In PowerShell, @“…”@ (and it’s picky about where on the line those appear) are a here-string - basically, a big block string. What you’re seeing inside the string is Javascript Object Notation (JSON). Javascript “understands” that format and converts it to an array. It’s similar to how .NET serializes and deserializes using XML; Javascript uses JSON. It isn’t an array per se; it’s a textual representation (serialization) of objects and their properties.

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**Author:** ![guy-thomas](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/guy-thomas/32/912_2.png) [@guy-thomas](https://forums.powershell.org/u/guy-thomas)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/understanding-a-particular-powershell-array/1787/3 "2013-08-11T19:19:07Z")

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Thanks for your explanation - useful. With the help of this article I am now up to speed with the ‘here-string’ concept.

[http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee692792.aspx](http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee692792.aspx)

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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/understanding-a-particular-powershell-array/1787/4 "2024-05-16T20:57:41Z")

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