Using -replace when selecting object to replace using an $array

Question

I need some help. I am trying to get a script working which uses a text file full of words that need filtering from the pipeline of a command.

This is the $filters text file I have created (NB - The values are server volume names):

('75ab4a4776bc11e09ae1806e6f6e6963','') 
('296b67b2c1f111e298d6806e6f6e6963','') 
('e3636932b95111e2a4be806e6f6e6963','')
('296b67b2c1f111e298d6806e6f6e6963','') 
('3f149289a83911e380b3806e6f6e6963','') 
('61aee3ccd72911e4ad8e806e6f6e6963','')
('97c80f3d9b7911e2b24e806e6f6e6963','') 
('3f149289a83911e380b3806e6f6e6963','') 
('181BCC0400D34ED0BC61CB7B1AC1FB9E','') 
('52120b028f8011dfb1bd806e6f6e6963','') 
('dfff9b1f76a911e09259806e6f6e6963','') 
('d4843b91172311e4ba95806e6f6e6963','') 
('668b283173711e4bfdb806e6f6e6963','') 
('d68e8a9cc5d211e680b4806e6f6e6963','') 
('d68e8a9cc5d211e680b4806e6f6e6963','') 
('3f149289a83911e380b3806e6f6e6963','')

What I want to do is parse all those values in the text file into the following command:

Get-BEAgentServer | Where-Object {
    ($_.BackupStatus -eq "BackupSucceeded")
} | Where-Object {
    ($_.BackupStatus -ne "unknown")
}

If I add this, I get the filtered output I want:

Select-Object @{n='Server Name';e={
    $_.Name -replace ('3f149289a83911e380b3806e6f6e6963','') `
        -replace ('61aee3ccd72911e4ad8e806e6f6e6963','') `
        -replace  ('97c80f3d9b7911e2b24e806e6f6e6963','') `
        -replace ('3f149289a83911e380b3806e6f6e6963','') `
        -replace ('181BCC0400D34ED0BC61CB7B1AC1FB9E','') `
        -replace ('52120b028f8011dfb1bd806e6f6e6963','') `
        -replace ('dfff9b1f76a911e09259806e6f6e6963','') `
        -replace ('d4843b91172311e4ba95806e6f6e6963','') `
        -replace ('668b283173711e4bfdb806e6f6e6963','') `
        -replace ('d68e8a9cc5d211e680b4806e6f6e6963','') `
        -replace ('d68e8a9cc5d211e680b4806e6f6e6963','') `
        -replace ('3f149289a83911e380b3806e6f6e6963','') `
        -replace ('Volume', 'SysVol') `
        -replace ('7ECA562AF49C475EB10168CF5C0D302C','') `
        -replace ('e3636932b95111e2a4be806e6f6e6963','') `
        -replace ('296b67b2c1f111e298d6806e6f6e6963','') `
        -replace ('75ab4a4776bc11e09ae1806e6f6e6963','')
}}, starttime, setendtime | Sort-Object "Server Name" -Unique | select -Skip 1

My question is, is it possible to simplfy the command to replace using $filters instead of manually adding each string to filter? This will make it easier for me to add filter strings in the future.

Ansgar Wiechers · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-14 13:10:04Z

3

Put just the strings you want removed in the input file:

75ab4a4776bc11e09ae1806e6f6e6963
296b67b2c1f111e298d6806e6f6e6963
e3636932b95111e2a4be806e6f6e6963
296b67b2c1f111e298d6806e6f6e6963
3f149289a83911e380b3806e6f6e6963
61aee3ccd72911e4ad8e806e6f6e6963
97c80f3d9b7911e2b24e806e6f6e6963
3f149289a83911e380b3806e6f6e6963
181BCC0400D34ED0BC61CB7B1AC1FB9E
52120b028f8011dfb1bd806e6f6e6963
dfff9b1f76a911e09259806e6f6e6963
d4843b91172311e4ba95806e6f6e6963
668b283173711e4bfdb806e6f6e6963
d68e8a9cc5d211e680b4806e6f6e6963
d68e8a9cc5d211e680b4806e6f6e6963
3f149289a83911e380b3806e6f6e6963

Read the file and build one regular expression from it:

$filter = (Get-Content 'C:\path\to\filters.txt' | ForEach-Object {
    [regex]::Escape($_)
}) -join '|'

Then remove the content with a single replacement:

Select-Object @{n='Server Name';e={$_.Name -replace $filter}}, ...

answered Nov 14, 2017 at 13:10

Ansgar Wiechers

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2 Comments

Maximilian Burszley Over a year ago

What's the purpose of that Escape method versus just joining the strings with a pipe?

Ansgar Wiechers Over a year ago

@TheIncorrigible1 To ensure that the strings from the file are treated as literal matches, not regular (sub)expressions. With the sample input it doesn't make a difference, but I perfer to err on the safe side.

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