How do I combine two Powershell outputs so that command #2 is run on each output?

Question

I want to combine the commands Get-user and get-casmailbox so that I can get the "Company" from the first output, and the "ActiveSyncStatus" in the latter into a single output.

I also understand that I could write an explicit loop do generate the desired results, but I think a more compact syntax is possible using the $_. command (or similar)

Can someone show me the command that demonstrates a Get-CasMailbox that feeds the second command using a $_. property, and finally does a select-object of some combination of attributes between the commands?

The reason I ask is because I often have to join commands in this manner, and for loops are explicit and difficult for the helpdesk to copy and paste. I'd much rather have a single command line they can paste in.

Solution 1

Every time you use Write-Host, Jeffrey Snover kills a puppy. Or is it Don Jones? Maybe they both kill the puppy together in some sort of ceremony. That'd be weird.

[PS] C:\>"User1", "User2" | % { [PSObject]@{Name=$_; Company=$(Get-User $_).Company; ActiveSyncEnabled=$(Get-CASMailbox $_).ActiveSyncEnabled} }

Name                           Value
----                           -----
Name                           User1
Company                        Contoso
ActiveSyncEnabled              True
Name                           User2
Company                        Woodgrove
ActiveSyncEnabled              True

Edit: Or this:

[PS] C:\>Foreach($_ In Get-Mailbox) { [PSObject]@{Name=$_; Company=$(Get-User $_).Company; ActiveSyncEnabled=$(Get-CASMailbox $_).ActiveSyncEnabled} }

The Exchange Cmdlets catch you off-guard with how they handle pipeline input.

If you want the output objects to look less crammed together, you can add a Format-Table at the end, right before the final } ... however, beware that Format-* is almost as bad as Write-Host, in that it has the ability to break the object-ness of the output, so only format output as the very last thing you intend to do. Don't format output, and then try to pipe it in to another cmdlet.

Solution 2

I've never used PowerShell with Exchange, and since I'm not familiar with those cmdlets and their outputs, I believe this one liner is close to what you're looking for:

Get-User | foreach { $a = $_.property1; $b = Get-CASMailbox -SomeProperty $_.property2; Write-Host "$a | $b" }

Comments

[slybloty]

Are you trying to run one command and output the "Company" name and the "ActiveSyncStatus" for each item?

[Juanjo Daza]

@slybloty, yes.

[Juanjo Daza]

If I replace "user1", "user2" with get-mailbox, I get the error Pipeline not executed because a pipeline is already executing. Pipelines cannot be executed concurrently. ... what do you suggest, since I know you're pro-puppy

[Ryan Ries]

See edit. Sorry I had to use a Foreach, but can't seem to get it work any other way.

[krisFR]

You could avoid Foreach with $a=get-mailbox; $a | % ... (BTW, not sure if it's better...)

[Ryan Ries]

@krisFR Yes you are correct. Personal preference.

[Juanjo Daza]

What is the right way to Export-CSV, etc? By simply appending export-csv I get "An empty pipe element isn't allowed"