how to create foreach loop in powershell with equal to command

Question

Im starting to learn PowerShell and have been trying to create a foreach loop so that if one of the JSON items has a status other than STARTED, it runs a command using its name as a variable in the executable command. Here is what my json txt file looks like;

{
  "UNIT": {
    "name": "AB",
    "address": "fadasdaer",
    "status": "MIA"
  },
  "UNIT": {
    "name": "CD",
    "address": "fadasdahsfaaer",
    "status": "STARTED"
  },
    "UNIT": {
    "name": "EF",
    "address": "9afahegt",
    "status": "DEAD"
  }
}

And what I am trying to do is read this from my json.txt and get it to run a foreach loop and execute a command where the name is incorporated in the command. I currently have something like this, but my PowerShell understand is limited and it doesnt work...

$JSON = json.txt
$check = $JSON | ConvertFrom-Json
$started=STARTED

foreach($unit in $check.unit){
    if ($unit.status -notmatch $started) {
    $name=$unit.name
    executable.exe start $name
    }

}

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

$started=STARTED -> $started = 'STARTED'

BenH
– BenH

2018-07-16 22:05:47 +00:00
Commented Jul 16, 2018 at 22:05 — BenH
– BenH, Commented Jul 16, 2018 at 22:05
Your JSON is malformed. You can't have duplicate keys.

Maximilian Burszley
– Maximilian Burszley

2018-07-16 22:34:37 +00:00
Commented Jul 16, 2018 at 22:34 — Maximilian Burszley
– Maximilian Burszley, Commented Jul 16, 2018 at 22:34

mklement0 · Accepted Answer · 2018-07-17 02:28:29Z

7

Your primary problem is that your JSON is malformed: it defines a single object and then defines its UNIT property multiple times.

You should define it as an array: note the enclosing top-level [...] and the absence of UNIT properties:

[
  {
    "name": "AB",
    "address": "fadasdaer",
    "status": "MIA"
  },
  {
    "name": "CD",
    "address": "fadasdahsfaaer",
    "status": "STARTED"
  },
  {
    "name": "EF",
    "address": "9afahegt",
    "status": "DEAD"
  }
]

With both the JSON input and your other syntax problems corrected:

$JSON = 'json.txt'
$check = Get-Content -Raw $JSON | ConvertFrom-Json
$started = 'STARTED'

foreach ($unit in $check) {
  if ($unit.status -notmatch $started) {
    $name = $unit.name
    executable.exe start $name
  } 
}

If you cannot fix the JSON at the source, you can transform it yourself before passing it to ConvertFrom-Json:

$check = (Get-Content -Raw $JSON) `
  -replace '\A\{', '[' `
  -replace '\}\Z', ']' `
  -replace '"UNIT": ' | ConvertFrom-JSON

edited Jul 17, 2018 at 2:28

answered Jul 16, 2018 at 22:31

mklement0

453k68 gold badges728 silver badges988 bronze badges

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

1 Comment

RickMorty Over a year ago

unfortunately, my json is always giving me the UNIT at the start... it can never be changed... is there are a way to integrate through each row of the JSON file? Possibly change each key in the file?

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

how to create foreach loop in powershell with equal to command

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related