How to amend a string with a variable? - powershell

Question

I am trying to copy PDFs from one server to another preserving the folder structure, I have come up with the following script.
I am trying to find the data contained in the variable $Server in another variable $newdes and remove it. However, this fails to happen. If you inspect the variable $newdes you will see that it contains the data stored in $Server, which I need to remove in order for the copy to commence.
As it stands the variable of $newdes contains
C:\Temp\ \file\homedrives\home
It might not show but I see double \ as a UNC file path.
I need it to read C:\temp\homedrives\home.
I am guessing because of the \ \file this fails to start the copy, if this is the case, somebody advise how to get this working.
Amended as requested:
$Criteria = *.pdf
$Trial = c:\temp\folders.txt
$Server = \\file
$Path = homedrives\home
$des = $Path
$safe = Get-Content $Trial
$safe | ForEach-Object {
# find drive-delimeter
$first = $_.IndexOf("\\");
if ($first -eq 1) {
# stripe it
$newdes = Join-Path -Path $des -ChildPath #($_.Substring(0, 1) + $_.Substring(2))[0]
} else {
$newdes = Join-Path -Path $des -ChildPath $_
}
$err = 0
> $folder = Split-Path -Path $newdes -Parent
$err = 0
# check if folder exists"
$void = Get-Item $folder -ErrorVariable err -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($err.Count -ne 0) {
# create when it doesn't
$void = New-Item -Path $folder -ItemType Directory -Force -Verbose
}
$void = Copy-Item -Path $_ -Destination $des -Force -Verbose
#$void = Copy-Item -Path $_ -Include $Criteria -Destination $Path $Choice -Recurse -Container
#$void = Copy-Item -Path $Files -Include $Criteria -Destination $newdes -Force -Verbose -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Write-Host $_
}
Write-Host $newdes

Answer 1

Why you don't use the -Recurse switch?
$source = 'C:\source'
$dest = 'C:\dest'
$extensions = #('*.pdf')
Copy-Item -Path $source -Destination $dest -Include $extensions -Force -Recurse
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.management/copy-item?view=powershell-6

Answer 2

ok, thanks for the assistance, I have now solved the issue, but it has presented another. Will post another question.
The solution to the above is to use
-filter "*.pdf"
Below is a copy of my code
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.windows.forms")
Function Select-Server
{
param([string]$Description="Select Folder",[string]$RootFolder="Desktop")
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.windows.forms") | Out-Null
$objForm = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog
$objForm.Rootfolder = $Server
$objForm.Description = $Description
$objForm.ShowNewFolderButton = $false
$Show = $objForm.ShowDialog()
If ($Show -eq "OK")
{
Return $objForm.SelectedPath + "\"
}
Else
{
Write-Error "Operation cancelled by user."
}
}
Function Select-FolderDialog
{
param([string]$Description="Select Folder",[string]$RootFolder="Desktop")
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.windows.forms") | Out-Null
$objForm = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog
$objForm.Rootfolder = $RootFolder
$objForm.Description = $Description
$objForm.ShowNewFolderButton = $false
$Show = $objForm.ShowDialog()
If ($Show -eq "OK")
{
Return $objForm.SelectedPath
}
Else
{
Write-Error "Operation cancelled by user."
}
}
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('Microsoft.VisualBasic') | Out-Null
$Server = "\\" + [Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::InputBox("Please choose a Server to search", "Server Choice")
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('Microsoft.VisualBasic') | Out-Null
$Choice = [Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::InputBox("Please choose a File Path to search", "File Path Choice") + "\"
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('Microsoft.VisualBasic') | Out-Null
$Ext = [Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::InputBox("Please choose a File type i.e. *.PST", "Location Choice")
#$Ext.ToUpper()
$Criteria = "*." + $Ext
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('Microsoft.VisualBasic') | Out-Null
#$FPath = [Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::InputBox("Please choose a path to copy to", "Location Choice")
$Path = [Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::InputBox("Please choose a folder to store the data", "Path Choice") + "\"
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('Microsoft.VisualBasic') | Out-Null
#$Name = [Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::InputBox("Please choose a filename", "File Name Choice")
$Search = $Server +"\"+ $Choice
$FileName = $Path
$Info = $Path + "FileCopy.txt"
$Trial = $Path + "Folders.txt"
$Trial2 = $Path + "Ammended Folders.txt"
$Type = $Path + "$Ext's.txt".ToUpper()
#$Server2 = "\" + $Server
#$File = $Path + $Name
if( -Not (Test-Path -Path $Path ) )
{
New-Item -ItemType directory -Path $Path |out-null
}
Else{
[System.Windows.MessageBox]::Show('The directory already exists','Error','Ok','Error')
}
$properties = #(
'Directory'
' '
'Name'
' '
#{
Label = 'Size'
Expression = {
if ($_.Length -ge 1GB)
{
'{0:F2} GB' -f ($_.Length / 1GB)
}
elseif ($_.Length -ge 1MB)
{
'{0:F2} MB' -f ($_.Length / 1MB)
}
elseif ($_.Length -ge 1KB)
{
'{0:F2} KB' -f ($_.Length / 1KB)
}
else
{
'{0} bytes' -f $_.Length
}
}
}
$result = Get-ChildItem -Path $Search -Recurse -Include $Criteria -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
) | Out-Null
$Result
#Get-ChildItem -Path $Search -Recurse -Include *.pst -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
$Folders = (get-childitem -Path $Search | where-object { $_.PSIsContainer }).Count
If (Test-Path $Search) {
<#Write-Host
Write-Host "Listing All Found In $Path" -ForegroundColor "Yellow"
Write-Host "=========================================" -ForegroundColor "Yellow"#>
Add-Type -assembly System.Windows.Forms
## -- Create The Progress-Bar
$ObjForm = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Form
$ObjForm.Text = "Progress-Bar of searched folders"
$ObjForm.Height = 100
$ObjForm.Width = 500
$ObjForm.BackColor = "White"
$ObjForm.FormBorderStyle = [System.Windows.Forms.FormBorderStyle]::FixedSingle
$ObjForm.StartPosition = [System.Windows.Forms.FormStartPosition]::CenterScreen
## -- Create The Label
$ObjLabel = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label
$ObjLabel.Text = "Starting. Please wait ... "
$ObjLabel.Left = 5
$ObjLabel.Top = 10
$ObjLabel.Width = 500 - 20
$ObjLabel.Height = 15
$ObjLabel.Font = "Tahoma"
## -- Add the label to the Form
$ObjForm.Controls.Add($ObjLabel)
$PB = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.ProgressBar
$PB.Name = "PowerShellProgressBar"
$PB.Value = 0
$PB.Style="Continuous"
$System_Drawing_Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size
$System_Drawing_Size.Width = 500 - 40
$System_Drawing_Size.Height = 20
$PB.Size = $System_Drawing_Size
$PB.Left = 5
$PB.Top = 40
$ObjForm.Controls.Add($PB)
## -- Show the Progress-Bar and Start The PowerShell Script
$ObjForm.Show() | Out-Null
$ObjForm.Focus() | Out-NUll
$ObjLabel.Text = "Starting. Please wait ... "
$ObjForm.Refresh()
Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
Out-Null
## -- Execute The PowerShell Code and Update the Status of the Progress-Bar
$result = Get-ChildItem -Path $Search -Recurse -Include $Criteria -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
$Counter = 0
ForEach ($Item In $Result) {
## -- Calculate The Percentage Completed
$Counter++
[Int]$Percentage = ($Counter/$Result.Count)*100
$PB.Value = $Percentage
$ObjLabel.Text = "Scanning $Folders Folders For $Criteria in $Search"
#$ObjLabel.Text = "Found $counter $Criteria in $Search"
$ObjForm.Refresh()
Start-Sleep -Milliseconds 150
# -- $Item.Name
#"`t" + $Item.Path
}
$ObjForm.Close()
#Write-Host "`n"
}
Else {
#Write-Host
#Write-Host "`t Cannot Execute The Script." -ForegroundColor "Yellow"
#Write-Host "`t $Search Does Not Exist in the System." -ForegroundColor "Yellow"
#Write-Host
}
Out-Null
Sort-Object -Property DirectoryName |
Format-Table -Property $properties |
out-file $Info
$Search | out-file -Append $Trial
#$Search | Out-File -Append $Trial2
$result | out-file -Append $Info
$result | Select Name | out-file -Append $Type
$des = $Path
#$PDFs= get-content $Type
$safe = Get-Content $Trial
#$Ten = #($Criteria)
$safe | ForEach-Object{
#find drive-delimeter
$first=$_.IndexOf("\\");
if($first -eq 1){
#stripe it
$newdes=Join-Path -Path $des -ChildPath #($_.Substring(0,1)+$_.Substring(2))[0]
}
else{
$newdes=Join-Path -Path $des -ChildPath $_
}
$err=0
$folder=Split-Path -Path $newdes -Parent
$err=0
#check if folder exists"
$void=Get-Item $folder -ErrorVariable err -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if($err.Count -ne 0){
#create when it doesn't
$void=New-Item -Path $folder -ItemType Directory -Force -Verbose
}
$void=Copy-Item -Path $_ -destination $newdes -Filter $Criteria -recurse -Container -Force -Verbose -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
write-host $_
}
write-host $newdes
$void=Copy-Item -Path $_ -destination $newdes -Filter $Criteria -recurse -Container -Force -Verbose -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue