Find and Replace multi-line string

Question

I'm trying to find a string and add the string needed for a program.

I need the code to look to see if the action = run fast already exists and if so do nothing.

$Input = GetContent "${Env:ProgramFiles}\myprogram\file.conf"

$replace = @"
[MyAction_Log]
action = run fast 
"@

$Input -replace ('action = run fast') -replace ('\[MyAction_Log\]',$replace) | set-content "${Env:ProgramFiles}\myprogram\file.conf"

Maximilian Burszley · Accepted Answer · 2018-12-04 22:30:48Z

4

I would check before wantonly replacing things you think exist. Also, never use $Input as a variable name; it's an automatic variable and won't do what you think it will (treat it as read-only).

$path = "$Env:ProgramFiles\prog\file.conf"
$file = Get-Content -Path $path
$replacementString = @'
[MyAction_Log]
action = run fast
'@

if ($file -notmatch 'action\s=\srun\sfast')
{
    $file -replace '\[MyAction_Log\]', $replacementString |
      Set-Content -Path $path
}

edited Dec 4, 2018 at 22:30

answered Aug 9, 2017 at 15:30

Maximilian Burszley

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3 Comments

BenH Over a year ago

You could use -notmatch and skip needing an else and the superfluous return. And you should escape your spaces in the regex.

BenH Over a year ago

I think you updated \s into the replacement string accidentally too. Should still be a space.

Maximilian Burszley Over a year ago

@BenH Find&Replace strikes again

Bruno · Accepted Answer · 2017-08-09 17:18:37Z

1

An alternative that's able to cope with the action key being located anywhere in the [MyAction_Log] section

$Inside = $False
$Modified = $False
$Path = "$( $env:ProgramFiles )\prog\file.conf"

$NewLines = Get-Content $Path | 
    ForEach-Object {

        if( $_.Trim() -like "[*]" ) { $Inside = $False }
        if( $_.Trim() -like "*[MyAction_Log]*" ) { $Inside = $True }

        If( $Inside -and $_ -like "action = *" -and $_ -notlike "*run fast*" ) { $Modified = $True; "action = run fast" } else { $_ }
    }

If( $Modified ) { $NewLines | Set-Content $Path }

edited Aug 9, 2017 at 17:18

answered Aug 9, 2017 at 17:02

Bruno

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