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Using Variable in Get-ADUser Advanced Filter Search

Why doesn't this work?

$SearchExpression = "SamAccountName -like `"*smith*`""
Get-ADUser -F {$SearchExpression}

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It works fine if i type in something specific instead of using the variable. Here is the error it throws out:

Get-ADUser : Error parsing query: '$SearchExpression' Error Message: 'syntax error' at position: '1'.
At line:1 char:11
+ Get-ADUser <<<<  -F {$SearchExpression}
    + CategoryInfo          : ParserError: (:) [Get-ADUser], ADFilterParsingException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Error parsing query: '$SearchExpression' Error Message: 'syntax error' at position: '1'.
   ,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.GetADUser

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Anybody have any ideas?

Thanks,
Cacophony

footech

The following should work.

$SearchExpression = "SamAccountName -like '*smith*'"

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footech

Of course you could take it even further with splatting.

$searchExpression = @{ filter = "SamAccountName -like '*smith*'"
          searchbase = "DC=some-ou,DC=domain,DC=com"
          properties = @("passwordlastset","title")
          }
Get-ADuser @searchExpression

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traoher

my guess is that you can't do it that way because "-like" is an operator.

you have to define like this:

$type='SamAccountName'
$matching='smith'

then your script becomes

get-ADuser -f {$type -like $matching}

This way you preserve the operator.

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footech

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Cacophony777

ASKER

Didn't realize the brackets weren't necessary. Huh. Thanks for the help! ...I'll also have to look into this splatting thing... looks quite useful.