Running a command with arguments assistance - powershell

Question

I have a command which runs a program in silent mode, it uses an XML file for the data repository and a word template to create multiple word documents based on a filter xml file.
The command I use is:
"P:\ath to\executable" -Username:Admin -Password:Pa55w0rd -Datadefinition:"C:\Data.xml" -Datafilter:"C:\Filter.xml" -wordtemplate:"C:\Batch\Paul1.dotx" -Targetdocument:="C:\Batch\Paul1.pdf" -filetype:PDF -Log:"C:\Logs\error.log" -Usage:DOCGENSILENT
I need to run this as a PowerShell script which I have mostly managed:
set-executionpolicy unrestricted
$datadefinition = Get-Content "C:\Data file.xml"
$datafilter = Get-Content "C:\Filter for data file.xml"
$wordTemplate = Get-Content "C:\"C:\Template\Paul1.dotx"
$targetFolder = Get-Content "C:\"C:\Paul\Paul.pdf"
Stop-Job = "Executable path" -Username:Admin -Password:Pa55w0rd -Datadefinition:%dataDefinition% -Datafilter:%dataFilter% -wordtemplate:%wordTemplate% -Targetdocument:%targetFolder% -filetype:docx -Log:%logPath% -Usage:DOCGENSILENT
Stop-Job 1
set-executionpolicy restricted
Write-Host -NoNewLine "Press any key to continue..."
$null = $Host.UI.RawUI.ReadKey("NoEcho,IncludeKeyDown")
My issue is that the script starts the executable but then doesnt pass the Variables, can anyone guide me in the right direction to fix this?

Answer 1

Getting this working depends on the behavior of your executable. Some things I noticed:
Shouldn't this:
$wordTemplate = Get-Content "C:\"C:\Template\Paul1.dotx"
be this:
$wordTemplate = "C:\Template\Paul1.dotx"
Are you sure you need Get-Content? (Aside from that, the path and quoting in your sample are not correct.)
Shouldn't this:
$targetFolder = Get-Content "C:\"C:\Paul\Paul.pdf"
be this:
$targetDocument = "C:\Paul\Paul.pdf"
I doubt Get-Content is correct here, since presumably your output file doesn't exist yet? I also renamed the variable so it makes more sense in your command.
In fact, are you sure you need Get-Content for any of those? Aren't you specifying filenames, not the content of the files?
In PowerShell, variables are prefixed with $ rather than being surrounded by %.
Using Set-ExecutionPolicy within a script to enable scripts to run is pointless, because the script is already running. (That is, if execution policy prevented script execution, PowerShell wouldn't let you run the script in the first place.)
If my guesses regarding your variables are correct, I think your script should look something like this (note also that I specified a $logFile variable, which I didn't see in your script):
$datadefinition = "C:\Users\Administrator\data\Sample Model_146_object type(s).xml"
$datafilter = "C:\Users\Administrator\data\Sample Model_146_object type(s).xml"
$wordtemplate = "C:\Users\Administrator\Templates\Base object.docx"
$targetdocument = "C:\Users\Administrator\Result\sample test15"
$logfile = "C:\Users\Administrator\Logs\C4W Error.log"
& "C:\Program Files (x86)\Communicator4Word.exe" -Username:Admin -Password: -Datadefinition:$datadefinition -Datafilter:$datafilter -wordtemplate:$wordtemplate -Targetdocument:$targetdocument -filetype:docx -Log:$logfile -Usage:DOCGENSILENT
I don't know the behavior of Communicator4Word.exe when you use -Password: with no password after it. (Is that a syntax error, or should you just omit -Password: altogether?)