Powershell iterate variable name in function

Question

My current goal is to create a function that can produce $ProgressBar1, $ProgressBar2, and so on. While defining the name as such and giving it the appropriate definitions below. Like size and location.

This is for an overly complex Powershell Script w/GUI and I will calling upon a listbox populated with any number of items to a Foreach{MakeBar}. The bars will monitor the task progress.

$counter = 0 is currently defined at the script level.

function MakeBar
{

New-Variable -Name "ProgressBar$script:counter"

ProgressBar$script:counter = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.ProgressBar'
$loc = ((23 * $script:counter) + 12)
ProgressBar$script:counter.Location = '94, $loc'
ProgressBar$script:counter.Name = 'progressbar1'
ProgressBar$script:counter.Size = '1109, 23'
ProgressBar$script:counter.TabIndex = 1
$script:counter++
}

I've been warned about modifying things outside of current scope but I am not sure how else or how best to accomplish this in Powershell.

MakeBarshould return a System.Windows.Forms.ProgressBar which you can store in an array / list instead of using variable counters. — Martin Brandl
– Martin Brandl, Commented Mar 29, 2016 at 9:12
you might also be able to use a hash table to store multiple progress bars. $bars = @{'Progress1' = {<#MakeBar#>}; 'Progress2' = {<#MakeBar#>}} — Anthony Stringer
– Anthony Stringer, Commented Mar 29, 2016 at 12:11

Ansgar Wiechers · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-29 12:30:40Z

I would recommend to have the function create the progress bar according to parameters passed into it (note that you must use double quotes if you want variables expanded in strings):

function New-ProgressBar([int]$index) {
  $bar = New-Object Windows.Forms.ProgressBar
  $loc = (23 * $index) + 12
  $bar.Location = "94, $loc"
  $bar.Name = "progressbar$index"
  $bar:counter.Size = '1109, 23'
  $bar.TabIndex = $index

  return $bar
}

and do all the counter handling and variable assignments in the loop(?) where you call the function:

$counter = 0
foreach (...) {
  New-Variable -Name "ProgressBar$counter" -Value (New-ProgressBar $counter)
  $counter++
}

Personally I'd prefer putting the progress bars into a hashtable rather than individual variables, though:

$counter  = 0
$progress = @{}
foreach (...) {
  $progress["Bar$counter"] = New-ProgressBar $counter
  $counter++
}

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