Merge multiple csv files, ignoring metadata line and handling different quotings - powershell

Question

I'm trying to merge CSV files in Powershell. I've read numerous answers here but I'm stuck on this problem.
I have a list of csv files, 2 difficulties :
[A] each file has a metadataline, the headers are in the second line.
[B] each file has the same structure, but sometimes quotes surround the column to escape the content.
Thanks to this question : Merging multiple CSV files into one using PowerShell,
I'm able to solve these two problems individually.
However, I'm stuck at combining the solutions.
Partial solution A
Skips every metadata line as well as header for subsequent files
Adapting the answer from kemiller2002:
$sourcefilefolderPath = "C:\CSV_folder"
$destinationfilePath = "C:\appended_files.csv"
$getHeader = $true
Get-ChildItem -Path $sourcefilefolderPath -Filter *.csv -Recurse| foreach {
$filePath = $_.FullName
$lines = $lines = Get-Content $filePath
$linesToWrite = switch($getHeader) {
$true {$lines | Select -Skip 1} # skips only the metadata line
$false {$lines | Select -Skip 2} # skips both the metadata line as well as headers
}
$getHeader = False
Add-Content $destination_file $linesToWrite
}
The problem : Import-Csv $destination_file give inconsistent results, as the quoting can be different for each source file.
Partial solution B
handles successfully random quoted columns
Solution provided by stinkyfriend.
Import-Csv seems to import the data gracefully when the column quoting, however different from one column to the other, is consistent for each line of the source file.
I could not combine this solution with the one above.
Get-ChildItem -Path $sourcefilefolderPath -File -Filter *.csv -Recurse |
Select-Object -ExpandProperty FullName |
Import-Csv |
Export-Csv $destination_file -NoTypeInformation -Append
Thanks a lot for your help !
Solution C
produces blank file on my PC
using suggestion from Mathias R. Jessen
Get-ChildItem -Path $sourcefilefolderPath -File -Filter *.csv -Recurse | foreach {
Write-Host $_.FullName |
Get-Content $_.FullName | Select-Object -Skip 1 | ConvertFrom-Csv |
Export-Csv $destinationfilePath -NoTypeInformation -Append
--- EDIT ---
RESULT
I could solve the problem by creating appended_files.csv using the first matching source file and then append to it.
$pattern_sourceFile = "*.csv*"
$list_files = Get-ChildItem -Path $sourcefilefolderPath -File -Recurse | Where {
$_FullName -match $pattern_sourcefile }
Get-Content $list_files[0].FullName |
Select-Object -Skip 1 | # skips metadataline
ConvertFrom-Csv | Export-Csv $destinationfilePath -NoTypeInformation
$list_files |
Select-Object -Skip 1 | # skips $array_files[0]
foreach { Get-Content $_.FullName |
Select-Object -Skip 1 | # skips metadata line
ConvertFrom-Csv |
Export-Csv $destinationfilePath -NoTypeInformation -Append }

Answer 1

Use ConvertFrom-Csv instead of Import-Csv, this way you can still control how many lines to skip:
Get-Content $file |Select -Skip 1 |ConvertFrom-Csv
So you'll end up with something like:
$sourcefilefolderPath = "C:\CSV_folder"
$destinationfilePath = "C:\appended_files.csv"
Get-ChildItem -Path $sourcefilefolderPath -Filter *.csv -Recurse | foreach {
Get-Content $_.FullName |Select-Object -Skip 1 |ConvertFrom-Csv |Export-Csv -Path $destinationfilePath -NoTypeInformation -Append
}