asked on

Function returning an array - not working why ?

function PopulateArrAD
{
      $ArrLocal = [System.Collections.ArrayList]@()

      $ArrLocal.Add(("StreetAddress",(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "StreetAddress")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("PostalCode",(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "PostalCode")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("City",(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "City")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("TelephoneNumber" ,(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "TelephoneNumber")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("Fax",(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "Fax")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("State", (GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "State")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("ADOU", (GetOuUser $strUser)))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("SiteCode", (GetCustomAttribute $strUser "ExtensionAttribute1")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("City", (GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "City")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("Title", (GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "Title")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("Department", (GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "Department")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("Manager", (GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "Manager")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("Contrat_Nb",(GetCustomAttribute $strUser "ExtensionAttribute6")))
$ArrLocal
Write-Host $ArrLocal[10][1]
Write-Host $ArrLocal[11][0]
}

This function is working well. inside the function $ArrLocal[10][1] return well the city and $ArrLocal[11][0] return well "Manager".

BUT, this is not working well

Function ManageArrAD()
{
      $ArrAD = [System.Collections.ArrayList]@()
$ArrAD = PopulateArrAD
      Write-Host $ArrAD[10][1] DOES NOT RETURN CIty but 11
      Write-Host $ArrAD[11][0] return Runtime error...
}

Question : How to handle this ? How to have into a var of same type as created in PopulateArrAD into ManageArrAD ?

Thanks

Dorababu M

Try by returning in your first function and give a try

return $ArrLocal

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function firstFunction {
    $array = 1,2,3
    return $array
}

function secondFunction {
    $array = firstFunction
    Write-Host $array
}

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Qlemo

Using return $ArrLocal is correct. Why? Because $ArrLocal.Add returns the index of the newly added item. If you do not explicitly return something, everything dumped into the pipeline is returned.

Of course this a very bad way to keep object information. You really should work with custom objects and their properties, or hash tables if you like that more. Arrays are for uniform information with usually unknown amount of "rows".
Using something like $usr.City or $usr['City'] is certainly much more appealing.

Fr. Vandecan

ASKER

same behavior... not working.

Qlemo

If I convert your second array elements to strings containing the command

function PopulateArrAD
{
      $ArrLocal = [System.Collections.ArrayList]@() 

      [void] $ArrLocal.Add(("StreetAddress",'(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "StreetAddress")'))
      [void] $ArrLocal.Add(("PostalCode",'(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "PostalCode")'))
      [void] $ArrLocal.Add(("City",'(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "City")'))
      [void] $ArrLocal.Add(("TelephoneNumber" ,'(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "TelephoneNumber")'))
      [void] $ArrLocal.Add(("Fax",'(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "Fax")'))
      [void] $ArrLocal.Add(("State", '(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "State")'))
      [void] $ArrLocal.Add(("ADOU", '(GetOuUser $strUser)'))
      [void] $ArrLocal.Add(("SiteCode", '(GetCustomAttribute $strUser "ExtensionAttribute1")'))
      [void] $ArrLocal.Add(("City", '(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "City")'))
      [void] $ArrLocal.Add(("Title", '(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "Title")'))
      [void] $ArrLocal.Add(("Department", '(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "Department")'))
      [void] $ArrLocal.Add(("Manager", '(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "Manager")'))
      [void] $ArrLocal.Add(("Contrat_Nb",'(GetCustomAttribute $strUser "ExtensionAttribute6")'))
$ArrLocal
Write-Host $ArrLocal[10][1] 
Write-Host $ArrLocal[11][0]
}

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your ManageArrAD function returns

(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "Department")
Manager
 DOES NOT RETURN CIty but 11
11 return Runtime error...

Open in new window

with the first two lines coming from PopulateArrAD with correct results (as you stated), but the ManageArrAD output is different from what you told.
But nevertheless you are somehow correct, our recommendations do not change the output. I've explained why, but thought the intermediate results of the Add method would be dismissed if using return. That's not the case. You need to dismiss each unwanted return value. That is:

function PopulateArrAD
{
      $ArrLocal = [System.Collections.ArrayList]@() 

      $ArrLocal.Add(("StreetAddress",(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "StreetAddress")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("PostalCode",(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "PostalCode")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("City",(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "City")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("TelephoneNumber" ,(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "TelephoneNumber")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("Fax",(GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "Fax")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("State", (GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "State")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("ADOU", (GetOuUser $strUser)))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("SiteCode", (GetCustomAttribute $strUser "ExtensionAttribute1")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("City", (GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "City")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("Title", (GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "Title")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("Department", (GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "Department")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("Manager", (GetItemFromAdUser $strUser "Manager")))
      $ArrLocal.Add(("Contrat_Nb",(GetCustomAttribute $strUser "ExtensionAttribute6")))
Write-Host $ArrLocal[10][1] 
Write-Host $ArrLocal[11][0]
     return $ArrLocal
}

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ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

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Fr. Vandecan

ASKER

vey impressive and ... right... still thinking on vbscript.....
tks for this very valuable feedback !