Select String From Text File and Create variable

Question

I have a text file containing a string I need to make a variable. I need the value for "file" to be retained as a variable. How can I capture this and make it a variable: "\APPSRV\I\Run\OPTI\CLIENT\20171031\25490175\Data\brtctybv\". This data will change per file, but it will retain the same format, it will start with \ and end with \

Example Text File

order_id = 25490175-brtctybv
file     = \\APPSRV\I\Run\OPTI\CLIENT\20171031\25490175\Data\brtctybv\
copies   = 1
volume   = 20171031-brtctybv
label    = \\domain.com\prodmaster\jobs\OPTI\CLIENT\Cdlab\somefile.file
merge    = \\APPSRV\I\Run\OPTI\CLIENT\20171031\25490175\mrg\25490175-brtctybv.MRG
FIXATE   = NOAPPEND

Yes, I need the selected string to be retained as the value of a variable. I'm having having a hard time trying to figure out how to grab that UNC path out of the text file. — 200mg
– 200mg, Commented Mar 4, 2019 at 22:02

AdminOfThings · Accepted Answer · 2019-03-04 22:09:55Z

1

$file = ((Get-Content -path file.txt) | Select-String -pattern "^file\s*=\s*(\\\\.*\\)").matches.groups[1].value
$file

See Regex Demo to see the regex in action. The .matches.groups[1].value is grabbing the value of capture group 1. The capture group is created by the () within the pattern. See Select-String for more information about the cmdlet.

edited Mar 4, 2019 at 22:09

answered Mar 4, 2019 at 22:02

AdminOfThings

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2 Comments

200mg Over a year ago

Thanks AoT, regex god

200mg Over a year ago

Thanks for the RegEx Demo update, very much appreciated

mklement0 · Accepted Answer · 2019-03-06 04:02:03Z

0

Regexes are powerful, but complex; sometimes there are conceptually simpler alternatives:

PS> ((Get-Content -Raw file.txt).Replace('\', '\\') | ConvertFrom-StringData).file

\\APPSRV\I\Run\OPTI\CLIENT\20171031\25490175\Data\brtctybv\

The ConvertFrom-StringData cmdlet is built for parsing key-value pairs separated by =
\ in the values is interpreted as an escape character, however, hence the doubling of \ in the input file with .Replace('\', '\\').
The result is a hash table (type [hashtable]); Get-Content -Raw - the input file read as a single string - is used to ensure that a single hash table is output); accessing its file key retrieves the associated value.

edited Mar 6, 2019 at 4:02

answered Mar 5, 2019 at 3:53

mklement0

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