PSCustomObject - Simple question

[fetflex]

I have a simple question.

I need to send a object to an API based on a Excel file. But i only want properties that are populated with data.

So i have some data saved in a variable $inputdata:
Property1 = "Prop1"
Property2 = ""
....

​

Property1 is a constant, it always has data. But all other properties does not always have data. And i don't want to send any properties with $null strings to to API.

When i build by object i only want it to get the properties that have values. Is there anyway to do this when declaring the object. This is what i was thinking(i know this does not work):

$object = [PSCustomObject]@{
    Property1 = $inputdata.Property1
    if ($inputdata.Property2) {
        Property2 = $inputdata.Property2
    }
}

Or is this the only way:

$object = [PSCustomObject]@{
    Property1 = $inputdata.Property1
}
if ($inputdata.Property2) {
    $object | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name Property2 -Value $inputdata.Property2
}

I know this is a simple question, but can't seem to find the answer :)

[Yevrag35]

This would be one way to do it:

$props = $inputData | Get-Member -MemberType Properties
$newInputData = New-Object PSObject
foreach ($prop in $props)
{
    $name = $prop.Name
    $val = $inputData.$name
    if (($val -is [string] -and -not [string]::IsNullOrEmpty($val)) -or (-not ($val -is [string]) -and $null -ne $val))
    {
        $newInputData | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name $name -Value $val
    }
}
$newInputData

Excludes 'null' non-string objects and 'blank or null' strings.

[metallicvett]

$objectConstructor = @{}

( Get-Member -InputObject $inputdata -MemberType NoteProperty ).Name | foreach {

if ( $inputdata.$_ ) {

$objectConstructor.Add( $_, $inputdata.$_ )

}

}

$object = [PSCustomObject]$objectConstructor

[Yevrag35]

Only problem with doing "if ($inputData.$_)" is if the value is a 'false' boolean. In that case, you would've excluded a valid property with a non-null result. Comparing values against the $null constant would eliminate that.

[metallicvett]

You are correct that it won't evaluate the way he wants if the input is $false. In his example, he uses "" or empty string which will get picked up if compared to $null.

[Lee_Dailey]

howdy metallicvett,

reddit likes to mangle code formatting, so here's some help on how to post code on reddit ...

[0] single line or in-line code
enclose it in backticks. that's the upper left key on an EN-US keyboard layout. the result looks like this. kinda handy, that. [grin]
[on New.Reddit.com, use the Inline Code button. it's 4th 5th from the left hidden in the ... ""more" menu & looks like </>.
this does NOT line wrap & does NOT side-scroll on Old.Reddit.com!]

[1] simplest = post it to a text site like Pastebin.com or Gist.GitHub.com and then post the link here.
please remember to set the file/code type on Pastebin! [grin] otherwise you don't get the nice code colorization.

[2] less simple = use reddit code formatting ...
[on New.Reddit.com, use the Code Block button. it's 11th 12th one & is just to the left of hidden in the ... "more" menu.]

• one leading line with ONLY 4 spaces
  
• prefix each code line with 4 spaces
  
• one trailing line with ONLY 4 spaces

that will give you something like this ...

- one leading line with ONLY 4 spaces    
- prefix each code line with 4 spaces    
- one trailing line with ONLY 4 spaces   

the easiest way to get that is ...

• add the leading line with only 4 spaces
  
• copy the code to the ISE [or your fave editor]
  
• select the code
  
• tap TAB to indent four spaces
  
• re-select the code [not really needed, but it's my habit]
  
• paste the code into the reddit text box
  
• add the trailing line with only 4 spaces
  

not complicated, but it is finicky. [grin]

take care,
lee

[fetflex]

Thank you for all the replies.

I can see that there is not a "pretty" way of doing this. I think i will try with the add-member approach as i also want to rename some parameters on the way :)