retrieving and changing data of an object, which is in another object - powershell

Question

passing by value or reference : powershell
more information :
PSVersion 5.1.19041.906
All files can be found here : [*]https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ya0Xyxewgo6FtUHVbGqSASqXOFSlXvbR?usp=sharing
I would like to try to pass an object by reference, variable. In this object I would like to pass a bunch of information (containing different other variables/data).
Sometimes there's a need to return it back (one variable), by return $menuObjts.
At paragraphs 'INFO' are $menuObjts and $menuObjts[‘MENUS’] shown.
More information about these object I have tried to figure it out by gettype().fullname.
REMARK : in the code here I've used $global: for allowing to ACCESS and CHANGE the variable and be able to make a screenshot and use it for test purpose.
So my problem is to ACCESS and CHANCE values in $menuObjts[‘MENUS’], which is a part, element of $menuObjts.
Thanks to #Santiago Squarzon for his patience and quick reaction.
The idea is to create dynamically menus from the CSV file (what works) and calls the selected functions by name - $menus_.FUNCTION which are retrieved.
But now I would like to extend it and be able to create multi sub menus.
There are two seperate MENU_GRP elements :
$menuObjts.MENU_GRP
-- contains info about the current/active/selected one
($menuObjts.**MENUS** | Where-Object {[int]**$($_).MENU_GRP** -eq ...
-- $menuObjts.MENUS : contains all posible menus (CSV)
So I import a range menu-items by a CSV file.
So these $menus_ are added to $menuObjts.MENUS / $menuObjts[‘MENUS’]
There are other features in $menus_ such as MENU, PARENT, MENU_GRP, MENU_IDX, MENU_OFFSET, MENU_SEL_TYPE, nrElems, FUNCTION, info, status , SEL, RESTART, STOP
$global:menus_ = Import-Csv -Delimiter "," $($curPath)
$menuGRP_ = 0 # 0 - MAIN
$menus_.MENU
$nrRestarts = #($menus_ | Where-Object { [int]$_.RESTART -eq 1 -and [int]$_.MENU_GRP -eq 0 }).Count
write-host (" info : - nrRestarts: {0}" -f ($nrRestarts))
# SET : values in one object : $menuObjts
$global:menuObjts =[ordered]#{
MENUS = $menus_;
MENU_GRP = $menuGRP_;
MENU_SEL_TYPE = $null;
MENU_OFFSET = $null;
nrElems = $null;
sel_input = $null;
MENU_IDX = $null}
$menuObjts.MENUS?MENU_GRP = 0 or $menuObjts.MENUS?MENU_GRP = 6
$menuObjts.MENUS?MENU_OFFSET = -1 or $menuObjts.MENUS?MENU_OFFSET = 12
$menuObjts.MENUS?nrElems = 13 or $menuObjts.MENUS?nrElems = 4
$menuObjts.MENUS ? - ? because I don't know how to retrieve the underlying object and their features/data
So my problem is how to retrieve each element of $menus_ in $menuObjts.MENUS again.
The idea is that via one variable, the next one will be calculated ([*]see function updateMenuObjtsInfo )
So my question is how can I see by type, how to get the wanted data ...
information of variables/object Get-Variable
gettype()
$menuObjts
$menuObjts.MENUS
$menuObjts.MENUS | select -first 1
These are a few things I want to achieve, but this doesn't work proper ($_).MENU_GRP
$1stElementGrp_ = $($menus_ | Where { [int]$($_).MENU_GRP -eq $menuObjts.MENU_GRP }| Select -First 1 )
$menuOFFSET_ = $($1stElementGrp_).MENU_OFFSET
$menuNrElems_ = $($1stElementGrp_).nrElems
##### where $($menuObjts.MENUS).MENU_GRP -eq $menuObjts.MENU_GRP -> .MENU_OFFSET
$menuObjts.MENU_OFFSET = $($menuObjts.MENUS | Where-Object { [int]$($_).MENU_GRP -eq $menuObjts.MENU_GRP}| Select -First 1 ).MENU_OFFSET
$menuObjts.nrElems = #($menuObjts.MENUS | Where-Object { [int]$($_).MENU_GRP -eq $menuObjts.MENU_GRP -and [int]$($_).SEL -eq 1}).Count
Another idea … was adding methods, but I’m struggling with my (little) knowledge of Powershell.
(based on 4 Ways to Create PowerShell Objects | RidiCurious.com )
$menuObjts | Add-Member -MemberType ScriptMethod -Name "getMENUS_RESTART" -Value $( this.MENUS | Where-Object { [int]$_.RESTART -eq 1 -and [int]$_.MENU_GRP -eq $menuGRP_ })
INFO - $menuObjts :
Name Value
---- -----
MENUS {#{MENU;PARENT;MENU_GRP;MENU_IDX;MENU_OFFSET;MENU_SEL_TYPE;nrElems;FUNCTION;info;status;SEL;RESTART;STOP=typeInstallation;LICENSE;0;0;-1;0;13;f1;Windows-Defende...
MENU_GRP 0
MENU_SEL_TYPE
MENU_OFFSET
nrElems
sel_input
MENU_IDX
INFO - $menuObjts.MENUS :
MENU;PARENT;MENU_GRP;MENU_IDX;MENU_OFFSET;MENU_SEL_TYPE;nrElems;FUNCTION;info;status;SEL;RESTART;STOP
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
typeInstallation;LICENSE;0;0;-1;0;13;f1;Windows-Defender has to be uninstalled
activate;;0;1;-1;0;13;f2;Windows has to be upgraded if working with an EVALUATION prod key;-1;0;0;0
NAME;HOST;0;2;-1;0;13;f3;F-SEC has to be configured as an isolated machine on the CSI server;-1;0;0;0
IP;;0;3;-1;0;13;f4;disable default Windows NTP service;-1;0;1;0
routes;;0;4;-1;0;13;f5;disable default Windows NTP service;-1;0;0;0
users;;0;5;-1;0;13;f6;disable default Windows NTP service;-1;0;0;0
ANTI VIRUS;SERVICEs;0;6;-1;0;13;f7;disable default Windows NTP service;-1;0;0;0
NTP;;0;7;-1;0;13;f8;;-1;0;0;0
MEINBERG;;0;8;-1;0;13;f9;;-1;0;0;0
addPATH;postgres;0;9;-1;0;13;f10;;-1;0;0;0
check;after CSI;0;10;-1;0;13;f11;;-1;0;0;0
execute;;0;11;-1;0;13;f12;;-1;0;0;1
quite;;0;12;-1;0;13;f13;;-1;0;0;1
WINDOWS DEFENDER;ANTI VIRUS;6;13;12;1;4;f14;;-1;0;0;0
F-SEC;;6;14;12;1;4;f15;;-1;0;0;0
execute;;6;15;12;1;4;f16;;-1;0;0;1
quite;;6;16;12;1;4;f17;;-1;0;0;1
Additional information [2021/05/04]
PS C:\Users\Administrator> $menuObjts.MENUS | Get-Member
TypeName: System.Management.Automation.PSCustomObject
Name MemberType Definition
---- ---------- ----------
Equals Method bool Equals(System.Object obj)
GetHashCode Method int GetHashCode()
GetType Method type GetType()
ToString Method string ToString()
FUNCTION NoteProperty string FUNCTION=f1
info NoteProperty string info=Windows-Defender has to be uninstalled, before installing an other anti-virus program
MENU NoteProperty string MENU=typeInstallation
MENU_GRP NoteProperty string MENU_GRP=0
MENU_IDX NoteProperty string MENU_IDX=0
MENU_OFFSET NoteProperty string MENU_OFFSET=-1
...
PS C:\Users\Administrator> $menuObjts.MENUS
MENU : typeInstallation
PARENT : LICENSE
MENU_GRP : 0
MENU_IDX : 0
MENU_OFFSET : -1
MENU_SEL-TYPE :
nrElems : 13
FUNCTION : f1
info : Windows-Defender has ...
status : -1
SEL : 0
RESTART : 1
STOP :
MENU : activate
PARENT :
MENU_GRP : 0
...
I have the impression that $menus_ is added as a 'value' instead as an object to $menuObjts - Value : {#{MENU=
PS C:\Users\Administrator> $menuObjts.MENUS.PSobject.Properties
ReferencedMemberName : Length
ConversionType :
MemberType : AliasProperty
TypeNameOfValue : System.Int32
IsSettable : False
IsGettable : True
Value : 17
Name : Count
IsInstance : False
MemberType : Property
Value : 17
IsSettable : False
IsGettable : True
TypeNameOfValue : System.Int32
Name : Length
IsInstance : True
...
MemberType : Property
Value : {#{MENU=typeInstallation; PARENT=LICENSE; MENU_GRP=0; MENU_IDX=0; MENU_OFFSET=-1; MENU_SEL-TYPE=; nrElems=13;FUNCTION=f1; info=Windows-Defender has to be uninstalled, before installing an other anti-virus program;status=-1; SEL=0; RESTART=1; STOP=},
#{MENU=activate; PARENT=; MENU_GRP=0; MENU_IDX=1; MENU_OFFSET=-1; MENU_SEL-TYPE=; nrElems=13; FUNCTION=f2; info=Windows has to be upgraded if working with an EVALUATION prod key;status=-1; SEL=0; RESTART=0; STOP=},
#{MENU=NAME; PARENT=HOST; MENU_GRP=0; MENU_IDX=2; MENU_OFFSET=-1;MENU_SEL-TYPE=; nrElems=13; FUNCTION=f3; info=F-SEC has to be configured as an isolated machine on the CSI server;status=-1; SEL=0; RESTART=0; STOP=},
#{MENU=IP; PARENT=; MENU_GRP=0; MENU_IDX=3; MENU_OFFSET=-1; MENU_SEL-TYPE=;nrElems=13; FUNCTION=f4; info=disable default Windows NTP service; status=-1; SEL=0; RESTART=1; STOP=}...}
IsSettable : False
IsGettable : True
TypeNameOfValue : System.Object
Name : SyncRoot
IsInstance : True
...

Answer 1

First of all, I would recommend a good read on: Where-Object, about_Arrays and this good article on PS Objects
# Storing the CSV in the $csv var
$csv = #'
MENU;PARENT;MENU_GRP;MENU_IDX;MENU_OFFSET;MENU_SEL_TYPE;nrElems;FUNCTION;info;status;SEL;RESTART;STOP
typeInstallation;LICENSE;0;0;-1;0;13;f1;Windows-Defender has to be uninstalled
activate;;0;1;-1;0;13;f2;Windows has to be upgraded if working with an EVALUATION prod key;-1;0;0;0
NAME;HOST;0;2;-1;0;13;f3;F-SEC has to be configured as an isolated machine on the CSI server;-1;0;0;0
IP;;0;3;-1;0;13;f4;disable default Windows NTP service;-1;0;1;0
routes;;0;4;-1;0;13;f5;disable default Windows NTP service;-1;0;0;0
users;;0;5;-1;0;13;f6;disable default Windows NTP service;-1;0;0;0
ANTI VIRUS;SERVICEs;0;6;-1;0;13;f7;disable default Windows NTP service;-1;0;0;0
NTP;;0;7;-1;0;13;f8;;-1;0;0;0
MEINBERG;;0;8;-1;0;13;f9;;-1;0;0;0
addPATH;postgres;0;9;-1;0;13;f10;;-1;0;0;0
check;after CSI;0;10;-1;0;13;f11;;-1;0;0;0
execute;;0;11;-1;0;13;f12;;-1;0;0;1
quite;;0;12;-1;0;13;f13;;-1;0;0;1
WINDOWS DEFENDER;ANTI VIRUS;6;13;12;1;4;f14;;-1;0;0;0
F-SEC;;6;14;12;1;4;f15;;-1;0;0;0
execute;;6;15;12;1;4;f16;;-1;0;0;1
quite;;6;16;12;1;4;f17;;-1;0;0;1
'#|convertfrom-csv -Delimiter ';'
Get the first element of the array
$1stElementGrp_ = $csv[0] # Like this
$1stElementGrp_ = $csv | Select-Object -First 1 # Or Like this
Get the value of the property MENU_OFFSET and nrElems of the variable $1stElementGrp_
$menuOFFSET_ = $1stElementGrp_.MENU_OFFSET # $menuOFFSET_ returns -1
$menuNrElems_ = $1stElementGrp_.nrElems # $menuNrElems_ returns 13
Not sure what you're trying filter here
# $menuObjts.MENU_OFFSET = ($menuObjts.MENUS | Where-Object {
# [int]$($_).MENU_GRP -eq $menuObjts.MENU_GRP
# }| Select -First 1).MENU_OFFSET
#
# $menuObjts.nrElems = #($menuObjts.MENUS | Where-Object {
# [int]$($_).MENU_GRP -eq $menuObjts.MENU_GRP -and [int]$($_).SEL -eq 1}).Count
# }
Example: If you want to filter all the rows where MENU_OFFSET = -1
$csv | Where-Object {$_.MENU_OFFSET -eq -1} |
Select-Object MENU, PARENT, MENU_GRP, MENU_IDX, MENU_OFFSET |
Format-Table
Returns
MENU PARENT MENU_GRP MENU_IDX MENU_OFFSET
---- ------ -------- -------- -----------
typeInstallation LICENSE 0 0 -1
activate 0 1 -1
NAME HOST 0 2 -1
IP 0 3 -1
routes 0 4 -1
users 0 5 -1
ANTI VIRUS SERVICEs 0 6 -1
NTP 0 7 -1
MEINBERG 0 8 -1
addPATH postgres 0 9 -1
check after CSI 0 10 -1
execute 0 11 -1
quite 0 12 -1
Example: If you want to filter all the rows where MENU_GRP = 6 AND MENU matches the word 'WINDOWS'
$csv | Where-Object {$_.MENU_GRP -eq 6 -and $_.MENU -match 'Windows'} |
Select-Object MENU, PARENT, MENU_GRP, MENU_IDX, MENU_OFFSET |
Format-Table
Returns:
MENU PARENT MENU_GRP MENU_IDX MENU_OFFSET
---- ------ -------- -------- -----------
WINDOWS DEFENDER ANTI VIRUS 6 13 12