output filename, not string with select-string

Question

I'm using powershell to "grep" my source code for a particular string. If the string is in the file, I would like the name of the file, not the line of code that contains the string.

I would also like the name of the file, just once, not listed for as many times as the file exists.

I'm currently using:

gci . -include "*.sql" -recurse | select-string -pattern 'someInterestingString'

Now I understand that the output of select-string is some sort of ojbect, and what I'm seeing in the console is, i'm guessing, the ToString() of that object. I assume that I could use format-table to control the output of the select-string, and I suppose sort to get distinct values only.

but that's a lot of guessing.

Joey · Accepted Answer · 2009-09-30 17:57:20Z

68

I don't think I completely understand what you're trying to do. If you want the output grouped by file, you can pipe into Format-Table with the -GroupBy parameter:

gci . -include "*.sql" -recurse `
    | select-string -pattern 'someInterestingString' `
    | Format-Table -GroupBy Path

If you want to get only the names of the files that match without any other info, you can use Select-Object with the -Unique parameter:

gci . -include "*.sql" -recurse `
    | select-string -pattern 'someInterestingString' `
    | Select-Object -Unique Path

If you're interested in only the file name, regardless whether the name itself appears multiple times in your hierarchy, then you can select the Filename property instead.

Note: The Get-Member cmdlet is a great help in figuring out what properties exist on an object:

gci . -include "*.sql" -recurse `
    | select-string -pattern 'someInterestingString' `
    | Get-Member

You can also use its alias gm instead.

edited Sep 30, 2009 at 17:57

answered Sep 30, 2009 at 17:50

Joey

357k88 gold badges704 silver badges699 bronze badges

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

3 Comments

Ralph Shillington Over a year ago

This is exactly the kind of detailed answer that I was looking for. Thanks!

Carl Walsh Over a year ago

In order for Select-Object to return a string instead of an object with a single Path property, use | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Path -Unique

Bando Over a year ago

| Select-Object -ExpandProperty Filename -Unique will give the filename as output

dads · Accepted Answer · 2016-04-08 14:07:34Z

18

When I'm doing this I just use the -List parameter - yes it does display the line of code but you only get one line per file (no matter how many matches there are):

PS> Get-ChildItem . -r *.cs | Select-String XmlNode -list

Commands\SnapinHelp\CmdletInfo.cs:27:        public List<XmlNode> InputTypes;
Commands\SnapinHelp\GetSnapinHelpCommand.cs:124:            WriteXmlNodeList(c...
Commands\SnapinHelp\ParameterInfo.cs:73:        XmlNode FindNode(XmlDocument doc)
Commands\Xml\XmlCommandBase.cs:65:            RegisterInputType<XmlNode>(Proce...

If you want the path:

PS> Get-ChildItem . -r *.cs | Select-String XmlNode -list | 
    Format-Table Path

Path
--------
C:\Users\Keith\Pscx\Src\PscxSnapin\Commands\SnapinHelp\CmdletInfo.cs
C:\Users\Keith\Pscx\Src\PscxSnapin\Commands\SnapinHelp\GetSnapinHelpCommand.cs
C:\Users\Keith\Pscx\Src\PscxSnapin\Commands\SnapinHelp\ParameterInfo.cs
C:\Users\Keith\Pscx\Src\PscxSnapin\Commands\Xml\XmlCommandBase.cs

Or if you really only want the filename:

PS> Get-ChildItem . -r *.cs | Select-String XmlNode -list | 
    Format-Table Filename

Filename
--------
CmdletInfo.cs
GetSnapinHelpCommand.cs
ParameterInfo.cs
XmlCommandBase.cs

edited Apr 8, 2016 at 14:07

dads

171 silver badge5 bronze badges

answered Oct 1, 2009 at 4:31

Keith Hill

204k44 gold badges370 silver badges377 bronze badges

3 Comments

Erik A. Brandstadmoen Over a year ago

Much simpler than the (more generic) solution above... +1.

Tolga Over a year ago

Only down side to this approach is that if binary files are in the search path the first line maybe the whole file.

SliverNinja Over a year ago

@Tolga To remove binaries, just use -exclude *.dll, *.pdb, *.cache, *.exe in get-childitem, or any other binary extensions that appear.

BartoszKP · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 21:09:32Z

4

I found it easier to do

(...|select-string "search").Path

edited May 23, 2017 at 21:09

BartoszKP

36k15 gold badges109 silver badges135 bronze badges

answered May 23, 2017 at 20:25

Austin_Anderson

9507 silver badges17 bronze badges

2 Comments

Rod Over a year ago

This works, but it will return the file's path each time the searched for string is found in the file.

AUSTX_RJL Over a year ago

Despite the above observation, this simple, short, and elegant. Try i!

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

output filename, not string with select-string

3 Answers 3

3 Comments

3 Comments

2 Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

3 Answers 3

3 Comments

3 Comments

2 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related