Test-Path in Powershell using data from multiple columns in a CSV file

Question

I am starting to learn Powershell and I have a csv file (pcfile.csv) with two columns:

Column one: PC - PC1, PC2, PC3
Column two: User - John, Michael, Tracy

I want to use test-path to check if the folder exists:

\\PC1\c$\users\John  
\\PC2\c$\users\Michael
\\PC3\c$\users\Tracy

Here is my code

$PCs = import-csv c:\pcfile.csv | select -ExpandProperty PC

$Users = import-csv c:\pcfile.csv | select -ExpandProperty User

Foreach ($PC in $PCs) {

    $Path = Test-Path "\\$PC\c$\$User"

      If ($Path -eq $True) {Write-Host 'Folder exists'}

      Else {Write-Host 'Folder does not exist'}

}

The problem I have is that I don't know how to put each user from $Users to check the path

Doug Maurer · Accepted Answer · 2021-04-29 01:07:33Z

1

You don't want to treat them as different lists, you just want to reference the different properties.

Sample data for others to be able to assist.

$tempfile = New-TemporaryFile

@'
PC,User
PC1,John
PC2,Michael
PC3,Tracy
'@ | Set-Content $tempfile

You want to import the data just once. Then iterate over each line which is made up of a PC property and a User property.

$csvdata = Import-Csv $tempfile

foreach($entry in $csvdata){

    If(Test-Path "\\$($entry.pc)\c$\$($entry.user)"){
        Write-Host 'Folder exists'
    }
    Else{
        Write-Host 'Folder does not exist'
    }

}

Note that in order to expand the variable and the property inside the path string, we had to enclose it inside of a subexpression $(...). You could also use the format operator.

foreach($entry in $csvdata){

    $userpath = "\\{0}\c$\{1}" -f $entry.pc,$entry.user

    If(Test-Path $userpath){
        Write-Host 'Folder exists'
    }
    Else{
        Write-Host 'Folder does not exist'
    }

}

edited Apr 29, 2021 at 1:07

answered Apr 29, 2021 at 1:01

Doug Maurer

8,9773 gold badges16 silver badges18 bronze badges

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

5 Comments

Abraham Zinala Over a year ago

Hello, is {0}{1} just the place holder for $entry.pc,$entry.user? Sorry, just not familiar on how they're used, or when they can be used.

mzoom2021 Over a year ago

Thank you very much Doug for the quick response, so I'm not very clear on the $tempfile part, if I have 100 rows of data, do I need to put all the data in the $tempfile block @' PC1, name1 .... up to PC100, name100 '@

Daniel Over a year ago

@AbrahamZinala, yes that's right. Have a look here

Daniel Over a year ago

@mzoom2021, the $tempfile is just test data for the example. You instead may change $csvdata = Import-Csv $tempfile to $csvdata = Import-Csv c:\pcfile.csv

Doug Maurer Over a year ago

Thanks guys. Yes the point of the temp file was to have an easy way for others to run the code as well. I recommend you provide that in your next question @mzoom2021. For your actual code you will put in your csv file, not some arbitrary sample file.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Test-Path in Powershell using data from multiple columns in a CSV file

1 Answer 1

5 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

5 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related