Get value back from a text box class - forms

Question

We have a script that was written by someone who is no longer with us. I am new to powershell and this function is not returning a value:
# prompt user for ip/dns address input.
Function get-ip
{
[void] [System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.Drawing")
[void] [System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.Windows.Forms")
# Creates a message box that accepts dns/ip address input.
$objForm = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Form
$objForm.Text = "User Input Required"
$objForm.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(300,200)
$objForm.StartPosition = "CenterScreen"
$objForm.KeyPreview = $True
$objForm.Add_KeyDown({if ($_.KeyCode -eq "Enter")
{$x=$objTextBox.Text;$objForm.Close()}})
$objForm.Add_KeyDown({if ($_.KeyCode -eq "Escape")
{$objForm.Close()}})
$OKButton = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Button
$OKButton.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,120)
$OKButton.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,23)
$OKButton.Text = "OK"
$OKButton.Add_Click({$x=$objTextBox.Text;$objForm.Close()})
$objForm.Controls.Add($OKButton)
$CancelButton = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Button
$CancelButton.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(150,120)
$CancelButton.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,23)
$CancelButton.Text = "Cancel"
$CancelButton.Add_Click({$objForm.Close()})
$objForm.Controls.Add($CancelButton)
$objLabel = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label
$objLabel.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(10,20)
$objLabel.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(280,40)
$objLabel.Text = "Please enter the IP address of the server you want to connect to:"
$objForm.Controls.Add($objLabel)
$objTextBox = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.TextBox
$objTextBox.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(10,70)
$objTextBox.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(260,20)
$objForm.Controls.Add($objTextBox)
$objForm.Topmost = $True
$objForm.Add_Shown({$objForm.Activate()})
[void] $objForm.ShowDialog()
}
I'm calling it as such:
$ip = get-ip
I enter in a value and I'm not getting anything in the $ip.
How do I capture the value of a text box?
FOR MARTIN
I made the changes that Martin suggested and here is my new code:
# prompt user for ip/dns address input.
Function get-ip
{
[void] [System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.Drawing")
[void] [System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.Windows.Forms")
# Creates a message box that accepts dns/ip address input.
$objForm = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Form
$objForm.Text = "User Input Required"
$objForm.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(300,200)
$objForm.StartPosition = "CenterScreen"
$objForm.KeyPreview = $True
$objForm.Add_KeyDown({if ($_.KeyCode -eq "Enter")
{$script:x=$objTextBox.Text;$objForm.Close()}})
$objForm.Add_KeyDown({if ($_.KeyCode -eq "Escape")
{$objForm.Close()}})
$OKButton = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Button
$OKButton.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,120)
$OKButton.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,23)
$OKButton.Text = "OK"
$OKButton.Add_Click({$script:x=$objTextBox.Text;$objForm.Close()})
$objForm.Controls.Add($OKButton)
$CancelButton = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Button
$CancelButton.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(150,120)
$CancelButton.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,23)
$CancelButton.Text = "Cancel"
$CancelButton.Add_Click({$objForm.Close()})
$objForm.Controls.Add($CancelButton)
$objLabel = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label
$objLabel.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(10,20)
$objLabel.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(280,40)
$objLabel.Text = "Please enter the IP address of the server you want to connect to:"
$objForm.Controls.Add($objLabel)
$objTextBox = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.TextBox
$objTextBox.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(10,70)
$objTextBox.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(260,20)
$objForm.Controls.Add($objTextBox)
$objForm.Topmost = $True
$objForm.Add_Shown({$objForm.Activate()})
[void] $objForm.ShowDialog()
$x
}
I get the same error message as before:
PS E:\Dropbox\Powershell Scripts\SSS Cloud Icons> .\cloudicons.ps1
Creating Directories...
mkdir : Cannot bind argument to parameter 'Path' because it is an empty string.
At E:\Dropbox\Powershell Scripts\SSS Cloud Icons\cloudicons.ps1:80 char:4
+ md $_.userName
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [mkdir], ParameterBindingValidationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationErrorEmptyStringNotAllowed,mkdir
Did I miss something?
** UPDATE **
I was asked how I was calling get-ip:
# Insert user entered IP into pipeline.
$ip = get-ip
# Sets user entered IP into new file called propanehasip.rdp.
(get-content .\propanetest.rdp) -replace 'full address:s:INSERTIPHERE',"full address:s:$ip" | Out-File propanehasip.rdp
Write-Host "Creating Directories..."
Import-Csv $csv | ForEach-Object {
# Creates directories based on the userName field.
md $_.userName
# Creates icons based on propanehasip.rdp and WSID fields.
(get-content ".\propanehasip.rdp") -replace 'remoteapplicationcmdline:s:INSERTWSIDHERE',"remoteapplicationcmdline:s:$($_.wsid1)" | out-file ".\$($_.username)\Propane $($_.wsid1).rdp"
(get-content ".\propanehasip.rdp") -replace 'remoteapplicationcmdline:s:INSERTWSIDHERE',"remoteapplicationcmdline:s:$($_.wsid2)" | out-file ".\$($_.username)\Propane $($_.wsid2).rdp"
}
}
UPDATE #2
I figured out how to debug this in visual studio. The error is happening on this line:
(get-content .\propanetest.rdp) -replace 'full address:s:INSERTIPHERE',"full address:s:$ip" | Out-File propanehasip_new.rdp

Answer 1

$x is only valid inside the block (the scope of variable $x), if you change it to $script:x and add an $x before the ending } of your function, then it works.
The additional $x is needed to represent the return value of your function.
Changes:
$objForm.KeyPreview = $True
$objForm.Add_KeyDown({if ($_.KeyCode -eq "Enter")
{$script:x=$objTextBox.Text;$objForm.Close()}})
$objForm.Add_KeyDown({if ($_.KeyCode -eq "Escape")
{$objForm.Close()}})
$OKButton = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Button
$OKButton.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,120)
$OKButton.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,23)
$OKButton.Text = "OK"
$OKButton.Add_Click({$script:x=$objTextBox.Text;$objForm.Close()})
$objForm.Controls.Add($OKButton)
End of function:
$objForm.Add_Shown({$objForm.Activate()})
[void] $objForm.ShowDialog()
$x
}
And... this script is taken from here and should demonstrate the use of Windows.Forms. However, i didnt found the date, when it was posted.