CODEWITHSUNDEEP
powershell
Shaun Luttin
Shaun Luttin

Reputation: 141424

Set a variable and pass it thru

The following works but is ugly. 

> Get-CimInstance win32_process | `
    select -first 5
    foreach { $process = $_; $process; } |     # this is ugly
    foreach { write $process.ProcessName }

System Idle Process
System
smss.exe
csrss.exe
wininit.exe

We've tried this, but it doesn't work. 

> Get-CimInstance win32_process | 
    select -first 5
    foreach { Set-Variable $c -PassThru } |    # this is prettier
    foreach { write $c.ProcessName }

wininit.exe
wininit.exe
wininit.exe
wininit.exe
wininit.exe

How can we make Set-Variable work?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 177

Answers (1)

TessellatingHeckler
TessellatingHeckler

Reputation: 28963

You aren't setting a value for the variable in your set-variable call, and the name shouldn't have a $ symbol

PS C:\> 1,2,3 | ForEach { Set-Variable -Name c -Value $_ -PassThru } | ForEach { "-$c-" }
-1-
-2-
-3-

Although I don't know how/if the variable value carries in sync with the pipeline or if it can get out of sync. What about 

$names = foreach ($c in Get-CimInstance win32_process | Select -First 5) {
    write $c.ProcessName
}

Here it is using your example of CimInstance.

PS C:\> Get-CimInstance win32_process | `
    select -first 5 | ` 
    foreach { Set-Variable -name process -value $_ -PassThru } | ` 
    foreach { write $process.ProcessName }

System Idle Process
System
smss.exe
csrss.exe
wininit.exe

Upvotes: 1

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