Loop through XML files powershell

Question

I am trying to extract some content from XML files. I have what I need working for one file but I need to do it for all files in a directory. So far what I have is:

$files = Get-ChildItem C:\Users\rasuser\Desktop\import *.xml -recurse

foreach ($file in $files){

$MyXml = [xml](Get-Content $file)

#$path = $file.ExportedContentItem.path
#$name = $file.ExportedContentItem.name
#$GUID = $file.ExportedContentItem.ID

#$path + "/" + $name + " > "+$GUID

}

I'm not really understanding how to import read in the content to an XML format. Can anyone help me out?

You say your code works for one file, but you didn't say in which way it stops working when you apply it to several files in a loop. — Ansgar Wiechers
– Ansgar Wiechers, Commented Oct 16, 2013 at 16:26
Sorry, I should have said I was navigating the XML correctly when using it on a single file using Get-Content rather than Get-ChildItem. When I try to loop the above code I'm unable read the XML content into $myXml — Peck3277
– Peck3277, Commented Oct 18, 2013 at 11:24

Keith Hill · Accepted Answer · 2013-10-16 22:11:03Z

4

If your XML looks like this <doc><foo name='fooname'><bar>bar content</bar></foo></doc> you access the content like so:

$MyXml = [xml](Get-Content $xmlFile)
$MyXml.doc.foo.name
$MyXml.doc.foo.bar

edited Oct 16, 2013 at 22:11

answered Oct 16, 2013 at 16:25

Keith Hill

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2 Comments

Norman Skinner Over a year ago

Also you might want to explicitly declare "$MyXml" as an XML like: [xml]$MyXml = Get-Content $xmlFile

Keith Hill Over a year ago

Yeah, that would help. :-)

ScalaWilliam · Accepted Answer · 2013-10-16 21:17:38Z

Try the following:

function list-xml-files() {
    get-childitem -recurse -force | ? { -not $_.psisdirectory } | ? { $_.name.endswith('.xml') } 
}

function list-data([xml]$xml) {
    $path = $xml.ExportedContentItem.path
    $name = $xml.ExportedContentItem.name
    $ID = $xml.ExportedContentItem.ID
    [string]::Format("{0}/{1} > {2}", $path, $name, $ID)
}

list-xml-files | % { [xml](get-content $_) } | ? { $_.ExportedContentItem } | % { list-data $_ }

This code follows a more functional style of programming. '%' is a map, '?' is a filter.

It showcases several nice features of PowerShell. You might want to install PowerShell 3.0 (you need .NET 4.0 as well) and you will be able to explore the various PowerShell features via IntelliSense.

Peck3277 · Accepted Answer · 2013-10-18 11:31:16Z

0

I was getting an error when trying to read the individual xml files path. I solved it by using $_.fullname:

Get-ChildItem C:\Users\rasuser\Desktop\import *.xml -recurse | 
% { 
    $file = [xml](Get-Content $_.fullname)

    $path = $file.ExportedContentItem.path
    $name = $file.ExportedContentItem.name
    $GUID = $file.ExportedContentItem.ID

    $out = $path + "/" + $name + "`t" + $GUID

    $out
}

answered Oct 18, 2013 at 11:31

Peck3277

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