Best way to assemble a string file in PowerShell

Question

I have a hash/array structure that I want to use to assemble a couple text files. Is this the best way to achieve this?

$resolutions = @(
    @{"bitrate" = 1100; "width" = 1920; "height" = 1080};
    @{"bitrate" = 800; "width" = 800; "height" = 448};
    @{"bitrate" = 400; "width" = 800; "height" = 448};
    @{"bitrate" = 128; "width" = 800; "height" = 448};
    @{"bitrate" = 64; "width" = 800; "height" = 448}
)

$metadata =
@"
<xml>
    <targets>`r`n
"@

foreach ($resolution in $resolutions)
{
    $metadata += "        <target>`r`n"
    $metadata += "            <bitrate>$($resolution["bitrate"])</bitrate>`r`n"
    $metadata += "            <width>$($resolution["width"])</width>`r`n"
    $metadata += "            <height>$($resolution["height"])</height>`r`n"
    $metadata += "        </target>`r`n"
}

$metadata +=
@"
    </targets>
</xml>
"@

$metadata | out-file Metadata.xml -encoding ASCII

The contents of Metadata.xml should look like this:

<xml>
    <targets>
        <target>
            <bitrate>1100</bitrate>
            <width>1920</width>
            <height>1080</height>
        </target>
        <target>
            <bitrate>800</bitrate>
            <width>800</width>
            <height>448</height>
        </target>
        <target>
            <bitrate>400</bitrate>
            <width>800</width>
            <height>448</height>
        </target>
        <target>
            <bitrate>128</bitrate>
            <width>800</width>
            <height>448</height>
        </target>
        <target>
            <bitrate>64</bitrate>
            <width>800</width>
            <height>448</height>
        </target>
    </targets>
</xml>

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 11 '13 at 20:16

I would use a single here-string:

$metadata = @"
<xml>
    <targets>
$(
    foreach ($resolution in $resolutions)
    {
        "<target>"
            "<bitrate>$($resolution.bitrate)</bitrate>"
            "<width>$($resolution.width)</width>"
            "<height>$($resolution.height)</height>"
        "</target>"
    }
)
    </targets>
</xml>
"@

$metadata | out-file Metadata.xml -encoding ASCII

score 2 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:57

There are many ways to Rome. Personally I like to use the tools that exist. You got the .Net framework available, so you could do it in many ways. Ex. you could try this approach using XmlDocument.

$resolutions = @(
    @{"bitrate" = 1100; "width" = 1920; "height" = 1080};
    @{"bitrate" = 800; "width" = 800; "height" = 448};
    @{"bitrate" = 400; "width" = 800; "height" = 448};
    @{"bitrate" = 128; "width" = 800; "height" = 448};
    @{"bitrate" = 64; "width" = 800; "height" = 448}
)

#Create XMLdoc
$doc = New-Object xml
#Create XML root node "xml"
$xml = $doc.AppendChild($doc.CreateElement("xml"))
#Create collectionnode for targets
$targets = $xml.AppendChild($doc.CreateElement("targets"))

#Create target-node for each resolution
foreach ($res in $resolutions) {
    $target = $doc.CreateElement("target")
    $target.AppendChild($doc.CreateElement("bitrate")).InnerText = $res["bitrate"]
    $target.AppendChild($doc.CreateElement("width")).InnerText = $res["width"]
    $target.AppendChild($doc.CreateElement("height")).InnerText = $res["height"]
    $targets.AppendChild($target) | out-null
}

$doc.Save("C:\Users\graimer\Desktop\test.xml")

test.xml

<xml>
  <targets>
    <target>
      <bitrate>1100</bitrate>
      <width>1920</width>
      <height>1080</height>
    </target>
    <target>
      <bitrate>800</bitrate>
      <width>800</width>
      <height>448</height>
    </target>
    <target>
      <bitrate>400</bitrate>
      <width>800</width>
      <height>448</height>
    </target>
    <target>
      <bitrate>128</bitrate>
      <width>800</width>
      <height>448</height>
    </target>
    <target>
      <bitrate>64</bitrate>
      <width>800</width>
      <height>448</height>
    </target>
  </targets>
</xml>

Check out this SO question for alternative ways using .Net .

Best way to assemble a string file in PowerShell

2 Answers2