PowerShell variable printing all csv columns from file

Question

I have a csv file:

"SamAccountName","UserPrincipalName","Telephonenumber"
"TUser","[email protected]","+15551112222"

I loop through the file:

$csvfile = Import-Csv $path
foreach ($row in $csvfile) {
    Write-Host $row.SamAccountName, "$row.SamAccountName"
}

The first $row.SamAccountName prints the sam account name string from the csv file. If I put the same variable in quotes, it prints an array. My output looks like this:

TUser @{SamAccountName=TUser; [email protected]; Telephonenumber=+15551112222}.SamAccountName

If I do .GetType() on $row.SamAccountName is says its a System.String. So why does putting it in quotes print an array?

CuriousOne · Accepted Answer · 2017-10-23 15:32:54Z

1

When you write it like this:

"$row.SamAccountName"

only $row is recognized as part of the variable and since $row is an array that's what it outputs. If you want to write the whole thing to a string try looking into .ToString() or wrapping your original statement into a variable like this:

"$($row.SamAccountName)"

that way it will consider everything part of the variable.

answered Oct 23, 2017 at 15:32

CuriousOne

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arco444 · Accepted Answer · 2017-10-23 15:38:44Z

1

It is not printing an array, it's printing a textual interpretation of the object.

If you want to interpolate an object property in a string, you need to use the syntax "$($object.property)". So changing as below will work:

$csvfile = Import-Csv $path
foreach ($row in $csvfile) {
    Write-Host $row.SamAccountName, "$($row.SamAccountName)"
}

Or use the format string operator:

$csvfile = Import-Csv $path
foreach ($row in $csvfile) {
    "{0}" -f $row.SamAccountName
}

edited Oct 23, 2017 at 15:38

answered Oct 23, 2017 at 15:31

arco444

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Comments

Chanced270 · Accepted Answer · 2017-10-23 15:41:11Z

By using double quotes around the "$row.SamAccountName" you are telling PowerShell to get print the row IE the array of objects from that row. As we can see from your output:

TUser @{SamAccountName=TUser; [email protected]; Telephonenumber=+15551112222}.SamAccountName

This is your Write-Host Statement. First, you are writing $row.SamAccountName and second you are adding the whole Row object ie the Array. The .SamAccountName in the double quotes is taken as a literal string, therefore, it is not accessing the row to retrieve its value.

If you just put $row in double quotes you will get this:

@{SamAccountName=TUser; [email protected]; Telephonenumber=+15551112222}

If you want to use double quotes around a variable use this if you are trying to access a sub expression.

"$($row.SamAccountName)"

This is the subExpression form.

The link below is to help learn about escape characters and string concatenation. https://ss64.com/ps/syntax-esc.html

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