Test a Path and a File (Nested IFs)

Question

Long day, might be missing something obvious, but the nested IF statements below should work. Any suggestions?

Basically, what I am trying to do:

Take a given hostname (this will later on be incorporated into a loop).
Take a log file and move it from one location to another (location is always constant).
- 2A. Test IF the folder exists:
  - 2A-1. If the folder exists, test if the file is in the folder.
    - 2A-1a. True: Delete the file
    - 2A-1b. False: Copy the file to the folder.
  - 2A-2. Else: Copy the file to the folder.
- 2B. ELSE:
  - 2B-1. Create the folder.
  - 2B-2. Copy the file to the folder

I did the below:

$Computer = "hostName"

Enter-PSSession -ComputerName $($Computer)

$LogFileName = "program_" + $Computer + ".log"
$LogFilePath = "\\$Computer\C$\users\$env:USERNAME\desktop\$LogFileName"
$DestPath = "\\$Computer\C$\users\$env:USERNAME\ProgramTest\"
$LogCopy = "programCopy_" + $Computer + ".log"

IF(Test-Path $($DestPath)){
   If(Test-Path "$DestPath\$LogCopy"){
      Remove-Item "$DestPath\$LogCopy"
      Copy-Item $($LogFilePath) $($DestPath)
       }
   Else{
       Copy-Item $($LogFilePath) $($DestPath)
      }
ELSE{
   New-Item -ItemType directory -Path $($DestPath)
   Copy-Item $($LogFilePath) $($DestPath)
   }
}

What is your intent? From what I can tell it is: Check for destination folder, creating it if it doesn't exist. Then copy a log file to it, overwriting any existing copy of the file if one exists. — TheMadTechnician
– TheMadTechnician, Commented Dec 10, 2014 at 22:43

Matt · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-12 01:59:04Z

I see you have already accepted an answer but I wanted to offer and improvement on the logic. The nested if's, while do work, have some redundancies in them. Assuming I understand your intention...

# If the folder does not exist create it. If it does move on
If(!(Test-Path $DestPath)){New-Item -ItemType directory -Path $DestPath}

# If the log file already exists. Remove It. 
If(Test-Path "$DestPath\$LogCopy"){Remove-Item "$DestPath\$LogCopy"}

# Regardless of what happens we are going to copy the file. No need to repeat the code. 
Copy-Item $($LogFilePath) $($DestPath)

While that is an improvement on the logic we can take this a little further. If you want to be sure the file is fresh and overwritten Copy-Item will handle that for you.

# If the folder does not exist create it. If it does move on
If(!(Test-Path $DestPath)){New-Item -ItemType directory -Path $DestPath}

# Regardless of what happens we are going to copy the file. No need to repeat the code. 
Copy-Item $LogFilePath $DestPath -Confirm:$false -Force

$() is the notation for a subexpression. A common use in similar context would be to ensure that a variable expands properly in a string. As shown in the following example

PS C:\Users\Cameron> $data = @{Matt="Awesome"}

PS C:\Users\Cameron> "$data.Matt"
System.Collections.Hashtable.Matt

PS C:\Users\Cameron> "$($data.Matt)"
Awesome

Currently in your code, while causing no harm, it is redundant.

Nathan Tuggy · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-10 22:56:20Z

0

Beyond the dubious use of $($Variable) (completely redundant; just use $Variable), you've misplaced a closing brace. The last five lines should look like this:

}
ELSE{
    New-Item -ItemType directory -Path $($DestPath)
    Copy-Item $($LogFilePath) $($DestPath)
}

If that doesn't work, let us know what's actually happening: errors and such when you try to run it.

answered Dec 10, 2014 at 22:56

Nathan Tuggy

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2 Comments

PrometheusRising Over a year ago

Thanks, your suggestions helped. I am definitely still a noob, but there is no real solution to that except to code. One extra point that I worked out on my own is that $pathVar\$fileVar leads to an additional "\" in the middle (i.e. \) which breaks the code. I changed that to the pattern: Test-Path ("$pathVar" + "fileVar") in a number of places, and that fixed it with the additional points you made. Thanks so much!

PrometheusRising Over a year ago

Btw, I would appreciate if others UpVote Nathan's answer, as I don't quite have enough XP to do it.

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