Powershell format-table error on expression

Question

I have an array I would like to display formatted. I have the start and end time in ticks to do some grouping and get a min/max (you can't do min/max with Measure on a datetime format). The issue is I want to display the final output as a datetime, not ticks. I searched and have this code, but can't get it to work. I get an error "Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format.FormatStartData" is not valid or not in the correct sequence"

$OpenArr | Group-Object Name | %{
    New-Object psobject -Property @{
        Item = $_.Name
        Sum = ($_.Group | Measure-Object TotalSeconds -Sum)
        StartTime = ($_.Group | Measure-Object StartTime -MIN)
        EndTime = ($_.Group | Measure-Object EndTime -MAX)
    }
}

#$OpenArr

$c1 = @{Expression={$_.Name}}
$c2 = @{Expression={$_.StartTime.ToString("yyyyMMdd")};Label="Start"}

$OpenArr | Sort-Object Name  | Format-Table $c1,$c2,TotalSeconds

I also tried just casting the StartTime as a datetime. In playing with it, that isn't even the problem. When I just do Format-table $c1, it gives an error too.

In your objects that you create I don't see a "TotalSeconds" property that you're using in Format-Table. You're not changing $OpenArr. Just keep it all in one pipeline $OpenArr | Group-Object Name | % {New-Object psobject ...} | Sort-Object Item | Format-Table Item,StartTime,EndTime. Not sure how you want to display DateTime from ticks? Like this, [datetime]1000000000 - [datetime]0? — E.V.I.L.
– E.V.I.L., Commented Jun 4, 2013 at 16:06
The point is changing the ticks to a date. This is doen wtih a cast to datetime, but that isn't working in the expression. The rest all works (except Sum should have read TotalSeconds). Casting in the Format-TAble without an expression doesn't work: $OpenArr | Sort-Object Name | Format-Table Name,[datetime]StartTime,EndTime,TotalSeconds. — user1612851
– user1612851, Commented Jun 4, 2013 at 16:38
So in your expression $c2 = @{Expression={$_.StartTime.ToString("yyyyMMdd")};Label="Start"} the "$_.StartTime" is in ticks? — E.V.I.L.
– E.V.I.L., Commented Jun 4, 2013 at 16:56
Yes, it is in ticks. I tried casting it in the expression prefixing it with [datetime]. — user1612851
– user1612851, Commented Jun 4, 2013 at 18:24

Ansgar Wiechers · Accepted Answer · 2013-06-04 19:09:28Z

1

Try using a TimeSpan structure:

$c2 = @{l="Start";e={New-Object -Type System.TimeSpan -Arg $_.StartTime}}
$c3 = @{l="End";e={New-Object -Type System.TimeSpan -Arg $_.EndTime}}

$OpenArr | sort Name | Format-Table Name,$c2,$c3,TotalSeconds

or, using the [TimeSpan] type accelerator as suggested by @BobLobLaw:

$c2 = @{l="Start";e={[TimeSpan]$_.StartTime}}
$c3 = @{l="End";e={[TimeSpan]$_.EndTime}}

$OpenArr | sort Name | Format-Table Name,$c2,$c3,TotalSeconds

edited Jun 4, 2013 at 19:09

answered Jun 4, 2013 at 18:49

Ansgar Wiechers

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5 Comments

E.V.I.L. Over a year ago

You could use the type accelerator [timespan]5403666660000.

user1612851 Over a year ago

I get an error: The object of type "Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format.FormatStartData" is not valid or not in the correct sequence. This is likely caused by a use r-specified "format-table" command which is conflicting with the default formatting. + CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [out-lineoutput], InvalidOperationException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ConsoleLineOutputOutOfSequencePacket,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.OutLineOutputCommand

user1612851 Over a year ago

To add a little more info, I am getting the date from a logfile and converting it: $StartTime = $line.substring(0,19) $StartTime= [DateTime]$StartTime $StartTime = $StartTime.Ticks

user1612851 Over a year ago

Even this gives the error: $OpenArr | sort Name | Format-Table Name. That is why I am confused...it doesn't seem to have to do with the Dates.

user1612851 Over a year ago

Thanks for the help. To be honest, there were several problems with the code. It turned out the measure tunred the int64 to something else and it couldn't then convert it to a datetime. I cast it as a Int64 first and then a datetime and it works.

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