asked on

PowerShell Scripting

Hello Experts,

This is my first learning experience with PowerShell ... looking for some guidance. Here is my current query:

Import-Module ActiveDirectory
$UserList = Import-CSV 'c:\users\someuser\desktop\ADUsersImport2.csv'
$UserList | Foreach {Set-ADUSer -Identity $_.SamAccountName -GivenName $_.GivenName -Surname $_.Surname -Description $_.Description -DisplayName $_.DisplayName -Company $_.Company -Department $_.Department -Office $_.Office -EmailAddress $_.EmailAddress -OfficePhone $_.OfficePhone -Mobile $_.Mobile -Fax $_.Fax -StreetAddress $_.StreetAddress -City $_.City -State $_.State -PostalCode $_.PostalCode -Country $_.Country -LogonWorkstations $_.LogonWorkstations -HomePage $_.HomePage -Title $_.Title -Enabled $_.Enabled}

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Please see attached CSV file that I am trying to import.

First question ... how do I keep my query the same but allow the query to run with a blank import field. For instance ... this user does not have an email address or a mobile phone number. Everything works if I put in $NULL in these two fields but then I have $NULL in Active Directory.

The second question is ... I am trying to also set whether the user is enabled or not. Everything I have tried to set this field will not work. All I get is:

Set-ADUser : Cannot convert 'System.String' to the type
'System.Nullable`1[System.Boolean]' required by parameter 'Enabled'.
At line:1 char:508
+ ... Title -Enabled $_.Enabled}
+ ~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [Set-ADUser], ParameterBind
ingException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgument,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.
Management.Commands.SetADUser

Any assistance of guidance is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Ryan
ADUsersImport2.csv

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Aard Vark

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Ryan Rood

ASKER

Can you explain where you are getting/setting the $User variable? The code does not seem to work as is ... just trying to understand why. I understand the -Enabled feature based on your code now. Thank you.

Aard Vark

You could use $Enable or $Enabled. It's just a variable name. You could use $SuperCool if you wanted :)

But yes, my example above has not properly replaced the pipeline variables (The $_'s). It should be as below. I've now replaced all the pipeline variables with $User

Import-Module ActiveDirectory
$UserList = Import-CSV 'c:\users\someuser\desktop\ADUsersImport2.csv'
Foreach ($User in $UserList)
{
   $Enable = $false
   If ($User.Enabled -eq "True")
   {
      $Enable = $true
   }
   Set-ADUSer -Identity $User.SamAccountName -GivenName $User.GivenName -Surname $User.Surname -Description $User.Description -DisplayName $User.DisplayName -Company $User.Company -Department $User.Department -Office $User.Office -EmailAddress $User.EmailAddress -OfficePhone $User.OfficePhone -Mobile $User.Mobile -Fax $User.Fax -StreetAddress $User.StreetAddress -City $User.City -State $User.State -PostalCode $User.PostalCode -Country $User.Country -LogonWorkstations $User.LogonWorkstations -HomePage $User.HomePage -Title $User.Title -Enabled $Enable
}

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The $User variable is just created on a fly. It could have been anything.

There is no difference between the following they achieve the same result in the end in their own way.

$UserList | Foreach
and
Foreach ($User in $UserList)

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You could also use your existing method like so.

$UserList | Foreach {
   $Enable = $false
   If ($_.Enabled -eq "True")
   {
      $Enable = $true
   }
   Set-ADUSer -Identity .........
}

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Just different ways of achieving the same result. It just depends on how you like to structure your scripts. It is my personal preference as it is how I learned from languages before PowerShell.

Another example for you would be.

$Array = 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Foreach ($Number in $Array)
{
   $Number
}

Foreach ($Letter in $Array)
{
   $Letter
}

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It doesn't matter that I'm using $Number or $Letter to iterate through the array, it is just a variable name being used.

Ryan Rood

ASKER

Thanks for the explanation - follow up question:

1. When you define "$User in $UserList" are you relating $User to $User.GivenName? In my CSV the column headers are GivenName in this case. I am not a programmer so I guess I am just trying to understand why you are assigning the variables differently?

Ryan Rood

ASKER

I am also trying to check a variable to see if it is $null. For instance the EmailAddress field.

   If ($User.EmailAddress -ne $null)
   {
		$EmailAddress = $User.EmailAddress
	}
	else
	{
		$User.EmailAddress = $null
	}

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This doesn't work ... but why not? Is there a better way to do this? Is there a way to check all fields for $null values and set them to null before it tries to write a null value and the script errors out?

SOLUTION

Aard Vark

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Ryan Rood

ASKER

Awesome - thank you! Very informative and helpful information. Looking forward to learning more about PowerShell and starting to use it more.

Thank you again.