Modifying Many Custom PowerShell Objects

Question

I have a list of several thousand custom PS Objects that are exported from another system, and all these custom objects are in a variable $queryResult. The system exports these objects with a field time that is in epoch time format in milliseconds (example: 1492536777453 = Tuesday, April 18, 2017 1:32:57 PM) . I need to change all of these time fields in the custom objects into human readable times. I already have a function that converts epoch time to human readable:

Function Convert-FromUnixDate ($UnixDate) {[timezone]::CurrentTimeZone.ToLocalTime(([datetime]'1/1/1970').AddMilliSeconds($UnixDate))}

I also figured out how to convert all of them, however this just returns a list of times(obviously), and I can't figure out how to update the actual custom objects:

foreach ($i in $queryResult.events.time){$humanReadable = @{};Convert-FromUnixDate $i}

My problem is I want to update the actual value in each PS custom object so that, when I export all the objects to an excel file for the end user, they are readable. Your help is very much appreciated!

EDIT

I forgot to mention what happens when I try to update the values. I tried this statement below:

$aqlQueryResult.events.starttime = Convert-FromUnixDate ($aqlQueryResult.events.starttime)

When I try that, I receive the following error:

Cannot convert argument "value", with value: "System.Object[]", for 
"AddMilliseconds" to type "System.Double": "Cannot convert the 
"System.Object[]" value of type "System.Object[]" to type "System.Double"."

I understand that I'm receiving this error because my conversion function expects a double, but how can I either change this to expect the correct data type, or find another way to do this?

Values are set using =. Where is it? (except for the unused hashtable) — Frode F.
– Frode F., Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 19:14
You could use a combination of Select-Object, Foreach-Object, and New-Object, I guess this could be done in a single pipeline. You have the main parts of it already. — sodawillow
– sodawillow, Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 19:20
Thanks @FrodeF, that was a silly mistake! I've updated my post to reflect where I tried the = — hbteibet
– hbteibet, Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 19:40
Now combine the two samples. Your can't mass edit an array, try foreach :-) — Frode F.
– Frode F., Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 19:42
.Net 4.6 has [System.DateTimeOffset]::FromUnixTimeMilliseconds($UnixDate).LocalDateTime — TessellatingHeckler
– TessellatingHeckler, Commented Apr 19, 2017 at 1:58

hbteibet · Accepted Answer · 2017-04-18 20:19:09Z

1

So with a bit of help from @FrodeF and @sodawillow, I have figured out how to update the values inside the actual objects! Below is the line I needed to add.

$queryResult.events | ForEach-Object {$_.time = (Convert-FromUnixDate ($_.time))}

answered Apr 18, 2017 at 20:19

hbteibet

1892 silver badges9 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

1 Comment

TessellatingHeckler Over a year ago

You should avoid parens when calling a PowerShell function; it works for one parameter, but it won't work as you expect for multiple parameters, it will pass them all as the first parameter.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Modifying Many Custom PowerShell Objects

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related