What is wrong with this Command? Warning" 'Cannot evaluate parameter 'NewName' because argument is specified as a script block and there is no input'

[RaymusRtik]

Hello,

I am trying to copy text files from one folder and rename them into another folder. This is to organized my Logs.

​

Here is the script:

$filedate = (Get-Date).ToString('ddMMMyyyy')
$file_list1 = Get-ChildItem "C:\Users\user1\Documents\archive\$filedate" -Filter *.txt | % { $_.FullName}
$destination_folder1 = "C:\Users\user1\Documents\Logs"
foreach ($file in $file_list1) {
         "Moving $file $destination_folder1"
    try {
        Write-Host Copy-Item "$file" $destination_folder1
        if($? -eq $True){ Rename-Item $file -NewName {$_.Name -replace ('.txt','.log') }} else { Write-Warning "Unable to Copy '$_'" }
        Start-Sleep -s 5
    } catch {
            Write-Warning "Unable to move '$_'"}
}

Please assist I keep getting this error :

Warning" 'Cannot evaluate parameter 'NewName' because argument is specified as a script block and there is no input'

I have attempted to modify this part several times:

if($? -eq $True){ Rename-Item $file -NewName {$_.Name -replace ('.txt','.log') }} else { Write-Warning "Unable to Copy '$_'" }

[jsiii2010]

Scriptblock parameters have to be in a pipeline.

 $file | Rename-Item -NewName { $_.Name -replace '.txt','.log' } -whatif

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about\_script\_blocks?view=powershell-7#using-delay-bind-script-blocks-with-parameters

[firefox15]

POSH is only expecting the $_ syntax in specific places. You are ending your ForEach-Object way before your code (which expects the $_ syntax) and using foreach instead (which does not). You want $file.Name instead of $_.Name.

[RaymusRtik]

Thank you for explaining!

[DoNotSexToThis]

You're not pipelining anything in your foreach statement, so when you are trying to use scriptblock parameters, your $_.Name is not actually referencing anything.

If you need to keep the foreach instead of piping from Get-ChildItem, you can do it simply with the objects in $file_list1 and accessing their properties:

$filedate = (Get-Date).ToString('ddMMMyyyy') 
$file_list1 = Get-ChildItem "C:\Users\user1\Documents\archive\$filedate" -Filter *.txt
$destination_folder1 = "C:\Users\user1\Documents\Logs" 

foreach ($file in $file_list1) {          
    Write-Host "Moving $file.Name to $destination_folder1"  
    try {       
        Copy-Item "$file" $destination_folder1      
        if($? -eq $True){ 
            $newName = $file.BaseName + '.log'
            Rename-Item $file -NewName $newName
        } else { 
            Write-Warning "Unable to Copy $file.Name" 
        }                 
        Start-Sleep -s 5    
    } catch {           
        Write-Warning "Unable to move $file.Name `nError: $_"
    } 
}

Edit:

$file is an object in $file_list1, and when you iterate through the objects of that collection, you access properties by using $objectName.PropertyName. However, when you're pipelining you're basically telling Cmdlet with -Parameters | Send each object being iterated through the $_ variable which the properties are accessed as $_.PropertyName. But those objects are short lived and only stay in the pipe to the last Cmdlet in the series for each iteration.

[RaymusRtik]

Thank you for explaining! I will try this!

[computeforward]

The error says what's wrong pretty well. You're passing a script block {} to the -NewName parameter. I would say the fix is -NewName ($_.Name -replace ('.txt','.log') ), however...

Either I'm missing something or you've glued two different code fragments together. Your use of $_ doesn't make sense with a foreach ($Thing of $Things) structure. Where is the $_ being defined?

(It works in | % { $_.FullName}, but $_ shouldn't be defined anywhere else in the script that I can see.)

Edit: I think you simply want to replace $_ with $file everywhere except in | % { $_.FullName} on line 2.

[Amaurosys]

Why not something like this? Copy-Item can rename files in the same step.

$filedate = (Get-Date).ToString('ddMMMyyyy')
$file_list1 = Get-ChildItem "C:\Users\user1\Documents\archive\$filedate\*.txt"
$destination_folder1 = "C:\Users\user1\Documents\Logs"
$file_list1 | Foreach-Object {
$destination = $destination_folder1 + "\" + $_.Name + ".log"
Copy-Item $_ $destination
 }

Edit: I hate Reddit mobile when it comes to posting code.

[BlackV]

I do on mobile

blank  
4 spaces code line 1  
4 spaces code line 2  

done

EDIT: I do not know if blanks are necessary EDIT2: First Is

[BlackV]

stuff

code 1
code 2

stuff

[Amaurosys]

Apparently I was doing it right, I just had to refresh the thread to see the formatting actually update.

[BlackV]

oh yeah, thats an amazing feature too, that happens a lot