Using powershell to manipulate URL header with real live system data - powershell

Question

I am trying to use powershell to manipulate a url value for a command program that is accessing a web Url.
Basically the case is like this
run in Powershell:
Program Argument https://www.example.com/dash/926846/l.php?link=bTP77O5LyLorxCtjnkdE0g&sectime=1598048132
The Sectime is in Unix time format. What i am trying to do is :
use the powershell command (Get-Date -Date ((Get-Date).DateTime) -UFormat %s) to generate the system time in real time,
Append the result to the end of the Url as a value for sectime.
I tried to concatnate the arguments using call operator :
Arg1=program
Arg2=parameter
Arg3=Url
& $Arg1 Arg2 $Arg3
now the issue is i can do
this is the issue. & $Arg1 Arg2 $Arg3 and that works , but i can not modify the URL to take the real time command (Get- Date -Date ((Get-Date).DateTime) -UFormat %s)
if i split the URL arg into two i cant not concatnate them like this
"https://www.example.com/dash/926846/l.php?link=bTP77O5LyLorxCtjnkdE0g&sectime=(Get-Date -Date ((Get-Date).DateTime) -UFormat %s)."
Since it is a string and an command
An idea how to do this?

Answer 1

$uriTemplate = 'https://www.example.com/dash/{0}/l.php?link={1}&sectime={2}'
$id = '926846'
$link = 'bTP77O5LyLorxCtjnkdE0g'
$timeunixseconds = [System.DateTimeOffset]::UtcNow.ToUnixTimeSeconds().ToString()
$uriSting = [String]::Format($uriTemplate, # Template with placeholders {0}, {1}, {2}...
$id, # first argument goes {0}
$link, # second goes {1}
$timeunixseconds ) # third goes {2}, etc etc
$isUriOk = [System.Uri]::IsWellFormedUriString($uriSting, [System.UriKind]::Absolute)
DateTimeOffset class starting with some .net version (4.5th .net, 5th powershell, AFAIR) has To(From)UnixTimeSeconds and To(From)UnixTimeMilliseconds methods.
DateTime (and Get-Date, which returns DateTime) does not have such methods! Use DateTimeOffset.
And for your original case:
Inside double-quoted strings, variables (even simple, in my opinion) should be added in $() brackets:
"Hello, $($env:USERNAME), it's $(Get-Date -Format 'D') today!"
# Hello, User1, it's Aug 22 2020 today!
Single variables can be added without $() syntax, but I'd recommed add $() always.
Inside single-quoted strings, $() or $var does not work:
'Hello, $($env:USERNAME), it is $(Get-Date -Format "D") today!'
# Hello, $($env:USERNAME), it is $(Get-Date -Format "D") today!