Read XML with PowerShell

I have found that the ability to define and read an xml file with PowerShell is very useful. Often times I will generate XML from an Excel spreadsheet to drive a PowerShell script.

For example, what if we wanted to read this xml file using PowerShell? Let’s say it was in a file named “sample.xml”

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <albums>   <album name="Time Out">     <artist>The Dave Brubeck Quartet</artist>     <released>12/14/1959</released>   </album>   <album name="Red Headed Stranger">     <artist>Willie Nelson</artist>     <released>5/1/1975</released>   </album> </albums>

Here’s how I access all the attributes and nodes.

# path/file name of xml file     $xmlfile = "sample.xml";         # Read an xml file     [xml]$musiccatalog = get-content $xmlfile;     foreach ($album in $musiccatalog.albums.album) {         # Display what we've read         write-host;         write-host -f green "   Album Name: " -nonewline;         write-host -f yellow $album.name;         write-host -f green "   Artist    : " -nonewline;         write-host -f yellow $album.artist;         write-host -f green "   Released  : " -nonewline;         write-host -f yellow $album.released;     }

And here is the output

Album Name: Time Out    Artist    : The Dave Brubeck Quartet    Released  : 12/14/1959    Album Name: Red Headed Stranger    Artist    : Willie Nelson    Released  : 5/1/1975

Send Email from SharePoint

Although in general I believe that SharePoint should contribute to reducing email rather than adding to it, there are circumstances and user requirements that call for SharePoint to produce emails. I have used code similar to the following function to create and send emails from SharePoint as needed.

// Abbreviated namespace imports using System.Collections.Specialized; // For StringDictionary using System.Text;                    // For StringBuilder using Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities; // For SPUtility /// <summary> /// Email a message to a user /// </summary> /// <param name=”emailSubject”>string: the subject for the email</param> /// <param name=”emailAddr”>string: the target email address</param> /// <param name=”emailMsg”>string: the message to include in the email</param> private void EmailUser(string emailSubject, string emailAddr, string emailMsg) {     try     {         // Define a dictionary for the email parameters         StringDictionary headers = new StringDictionary();                 // Set the email content type (I am using text format in this example)         // Use "text/html" if you want to format/send email as HTML         headers.Add("content-type", "text/plain");         // Set the from address (does not need to be a valid email address)         headers.Add("from", "donotreply@yourdomain.local");         // Set the to address         headers.add("to", emailAddr);         // Set the cc address (in this case we will cc the current SharePoint user)         headers.add("cc", SPContext.Current.Web.CurrentUser.Email);         // Set the bcc address (if desired)         headers.add("bcc", "someaddr@yourdomain.local");         // Set the email subject         headers.add("subject", emailSubject);         // Build the message body (just a sample with text line feeds and tabs)         StringBuilder emailBody = new StringBuilder();         emailBody.AppendFormat("*** SharePoint Notification ***\n\n");         emailBody.AppendFormat("Site:\t{0}\n", SPContext.Current.Web.Url);         emailBody.AppendFormat("Message:\t{0}\n", emailMsg);         emailBody.AppendFormat("\n*** End of SharePoint Notification ***");         // Send the email         SPUtility.SendEmail(SPContext.Current.Web, headers, emailBody.ToString());     } // end try     catch (exception ex)     {         // Log exception to event and/or uls logs (code omitted)         // Handle exception (code omitted)    } // end catch } // end EmailUser

PowerShell Pause for Yes/No

Sometimes you need to ask a simple Yes or No question in a PowerShell script, I use the following function:

<#     Function   : PauseForYesNo     Description: Prompt for user input of "Y" or "N"     Note       : Will not run from ISE, must run from command prompt     Parameters :        -question  : Question text to display to user     Returns    :     Key pressed ("Y" or "N") #> function PauseForYesNo {     param(         [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)][System.String]$question)         # Setup the question         write-host -f Yellow ("{0}? " -f $question) -nonewline;         write-host -f Green "(Y or N): " -nonewline;                 # Read key input until "Y" or "N" pressed         do {             $key = $host.UI.RawUI.ReadKey("NoEcho,IncludeKeyDown");         }         until (($key.Character -eq "Y") -or ($key.Character -eq "N"))                 # Echo the key pressed         write-host -f White $key.Character;                 # Return the key pressed         return $key.Character.ToString(); } # Main # Ask user if they are ready to do something $Reply = PauseForYesNo -question "Are you ready to do something"; # Based on user key pressed, do something or not if ($Reply -eq "Y") {     write-host -f Green "   Do something!"; } else {     write-host -f Red "   Do nothing!"; }

JavaScript Date Compare

I quite often need to compare a date selected on a form to the current date. Usually because I wish to prohibit the form user from selecting a due date in the past. I came up with this JavaScript function to accomplish this check:

/* Function:     DateGEToday Parameters:   dateToCompare, a date string to compare against Returns:      True, if dateToCompare is greater than or equal to today */ function DateGEToday(dateToCompare) {     // By default, set our compare result to false     var result = false;     // Convert the passed date to a date data type     var comp = new Date(dateToCompare);     // Create a data data type for the current date/time     var now = new Date();     // Create a new due date that does not include the time     var dueDate = new Date(comp.getFullYear(), comp.getMonth(), comp.getDate());     // Create a new current date that does not include the time     var today = new Date(now.getFullYear(), now.GetMonth(), now.getDate());     // Compare the two date only variables     if (dueDate >= today) {         result = true;     }     // Return the boolean result     return result; }

Caveat: I am a JavaScript novice, so I welcome constructive comments. I don't doubt this code could be reduced and/or simplified, but it works and it makes sense to me.

The call to this script in a form validation checker might look like this...

var dueDate = document.getElementById('<%= dtcDateTime.Controls[0].ClientID %>'); if (!DateGEToday(dueDate.value)) {     document.getElementById('<%= dtcDateTime.Controls[0].ClientID %>').focus();     alert('Due date must be today or future date!'); }