How to move items excluding certain folder using PowerShell? - powershell

Question

The question is an oversimplification of the real issue.
I have a folder let's call it "ParentFolder". Within this folder are files and subfolders. I want all the files and subfolders moved from the "ParentFolder" except one specific subfolder, let's call it "SpecificChildFolder". For the "SpecificChildFolder" I don't want the folder to be moved but only the files in it.
I can do these two tasks separately. I can either move all the files and folders(including the "SpecificChildFolder) in the "ParentFolder" or I can move files from the "SpecificChildFolder" only (excluding the rest of the files and subfolders in the "ParentFolder").
I want these two tasks to happen simultaneously.
I thought I would accomplish this in two separate functions:
Move everything except "SpecificChildFolder"
Move files from within the "SpecificChildFolder"
The stage# 2 code works. It is Stage# 1 I have issues with.
I have also tried Get-ChildItem $src -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Where-Object {$_.Directory.Name -NotLike "*SpecificChildFolder*"} | ForEach-Object{} but this doesn't work either
Secondly, can this is not happen in one line of PowerShell?
I am using PowerShell Core 7.2
Code for Stage 1:
#Sources
$src = "C:\User\Desktop\TEST\ParentFolder\*"
$srcMcaNameChg = "C:\User\Desktop\TEST\ParentFolder"
#Destination
$dest = "C:\Users\harguls\Desktop\TEST\DestinationFolder"
Function MoveFiles{
Param(
[string]$src,
[string]$dest,
[string]$srcNameChange
)
Get-ChildItem $src -Recurse -Exclude 'SpecificChildFolder' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | ForEach-Object{
$fileName = $_.Name
# Check for duplicate files
$file = Test-Path -Path $dest\$fileName
Write-Output $file
if($file)
{
"$srcNameChange\$fileName" | Rename-Item -NewName ("Copy_"+$fileName)
}
}
Move-Item -Path $src -Destination $dest -Force
}
MoveFiles -src $src -dest $dest -srcNameChange $srcMcaNameChg

Answer 1

Here is a vague representation of what it seems you're looking to accomplish, hope the inline comments are explanatory.
$source = '\path\to\source\folder'
$destination = '\path\to\destination\folder'
# you can add multiple folders here if you want
$exceptWith = 'foldertoexclude1', 'foldertoexclude2'
# get only the subfolders of `$source` and iterate over them
Get-ChildItem $source -Directory | ForEach-Object {
# if this folder name is in the folders to exclude array
if($_.Name -in $exceptWith) {
# get only the files of this folder and move them to destination
Get-ChildItem $exclude -File | Move-Item -Destination $destination
# if we're here we can proceed with next subfolder
return
}
# if we're here means that the name of the folder was not in `$exceptWith`
# so we move this folder and all it's child folders / files
Move-Item -LiteralPath $_.FullName -Destination $destination -Recurse
}