Combining and modifying objects from an array in powershell to create a new array

Question

I have a csv with columns that contain a user's first name last name. I have firgured out how to import the csv data from each column using:

$firstname = Import-csv .\data.csv | select-object "Employee First Name" 
$lastname = Import-csv .\data.csv | select-object "Employee Last Name"

I have also figured out that:

$username=$firstname.substring(0,1)+$lastname

works when using system.string objects. The problem is I need to loop through all of names to create a new column with the username and I get the error

System.Object[]] doesn't contain a method named 'substring'

I thought I could convert to string using $firstname.ToString() but I seem to have botched that. Any help is geatly appreciated as I am still trying to learn powershell.

JPBlanc · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-14 13:30:15Z

1

The error is self expressive $firstname is not a string. $firstname is an array of string.

Try :

$username = ($firstname[0]).substring(0,1)+$lastname[0]

you'd better use :

$employees = Import-csv .\data.csv
foreach ($employee in $employees)
{
  $username=($employee.'Employee First Name').substring(0,1)+($employee.'Employee Last Name')
}

answered Mar 14, 2013 at 13:30

JPBlanc

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Zer0oDay · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-14 13:41:39Z

0

Looks like you are trying to make a user name. So i'm not sure why you want to import one column at a time?

But this might work for you.

$names = Import-Csv .\test.csv
$userNames = New-Object 'System.Collections.Generic.List[String]'

foreach ($name in $names)
{
    $userNames.Add($($name.firstName.Substring(0,1) + $name.lastName))
}

answered Mar 14, 2013 at 13:41

Zer0oDay

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