PowerShell variables not being expanded in string?

Question

I have written some PowerShell

param (
    [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)][string]$company,
    [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)][string]$output
)

...

$objRecordset.Open("Select Col1, Col2, Col3 From $company_Table1.DBF", $objConnection,$adOpenStatic,$adLockOptimistic)

I am running it using

.\Test.ps1 -company A -output C:\test.txt

but for some reason the $company variable isn't being expanded even though it's in "quotes"?

Exception calling "Open" with "4" argument(s): "File '.dbf' does not exist."
At line:17 char:1
+ $objRecordset.Open("Select Col1, Col2, Col3 From $company_Table1. ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ComMethodTargetInvocation

When I hardcode it as A_Table1.dbf it works fine ...

Possible duplicate of Variable expansion and escaped characters — M.G
– M.G, Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 15:44

G42 · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-07 10:33:05Z

5

The error message it telling you that PowerShell is parsing $company_Table1 as the name of the variable; _ is not acting as a delimiter.

You need to tell PowerShell where the variable name being and ends using curl braces {}

${company}_Table1.DBF

answered Nov 7, 2017 at 10:33

G42

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4 Comments

Jack Over a year ago

Of course, jeez. Thanks. I will accept once it allows me to.

Sid Over a year ago

I would imagine ISE would have displayed $company_Table1 as a single variable. Hard to miss that.

M.G Over a year ago

also a common practice is to wrap the variable into a new block like this "Select Col1, Col2, Col3 From $($company)_Table1.DBF"

Jack Over a year ago

@RohinSidharth Who mentioned ISE.

Snak3d0c · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-07 10:35:21Z

-2

.DBF stands for database file. You are trying to do a select on the database and not on a table in that database. So it makes sense this isn't working.

it should be Select * from TBL_Whatever LIMIT 0,1 ....

So you first need to open a connection to the DB file itself and then do your select against a TABLE in that DB.

answered Nov 7, 2017 at 10:35

Snak3d0c

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