AZ-040 Automating

Administration with
PowerShell

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Learning Path 6: Working with variables, arrays, and
hash tables

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Overview

As an essential component of scripts, variables enable you to accomplish

complex tasks that you can't complete using a single command. This
Learning Path explains how to work with variables, arrays, and hash
tables as steps in learning how to create Windows PowerShell scripts.

Modules:
• Use variables in Window PowerShell scripts
• Manipulate variables in Window PowerShell scripts
• Work with arrays and hash tables in Window PowerShell scripts

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Section break 1

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Use variables in Window PowerShell scripts

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Module overview
This Module explains some rules for using variables, which help ensure
that the data you store in variables is in the correct format and easily
accessible. It’s important to name variables appropriately and to assign
them the correct data type.

Units:
• What are variables?
• Variable naming
• Assigning a value to a variable
• Variable types
• Demonstration: Assigning a variable type

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What are variables?
• A variable stores a value or object in memory.
• Some things you can do with a variable:
‒ Store the name of a log file that you write data to multiple times.
‒ Derive and store an email address based on the name of a user account.
‒ Calculate and store the date representing the beginning of the most recent 30-
day period, to identify whether computer accounts have authenticated during
that time.
• You can access object properties stored in a variable.
• Variables and their values can be reviewed in the PSDrive named
Variable.

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Variable naming
• Variable names:
‒ Should be easily understandable.
‒ Can contain spaces if enclosed in braces.
‒ Should contain only alphanumeric characters.
‒ Are not case-sensitive.
• A common convention for variable names uses capital letters to separate
words:
‒ $LogFile
‒ $StartDate
‒ $ipAddress

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Assigning a value to a variable

• Use standard mathematical operators when working with variables.

• To assign a value to a variable, use the = operator:
‒ $num1 = 5
‒ $logFile = “C:\Logs\Log.txt”
‒ $user = Get-ADUser Administrator
‒ $service = Get-Service W32Time
• To display the value of a variable, enter the variable name or use Write-Host:
‒ $num1
‒ Write-Host “The log location is $logfile”
• To clear a variable, use $null:
‒ $num1 = $null

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Variable types

• The variable type determines the data that can be stored in it:
‒ String. Stores text, including special characters.
‒ Int32. Stores integers without decimals.
‒ Double. Stores numbers with decimals.
‒ DateTime. Stores date and time.
‒ Bool. Stores true or false.
• Windows PowerShell can automatically assign the type based on a value.
• Specify the type if data is going to be ambiguous.

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Demonstration: Assigning a variable type

In this demonstration, you will learn how

to:
1. Set the value for variables.
2. Display the contents of a variable. DEMO
3. Review the properties of a variable.
4. Review variables in memory.
5. Use the GetType method to review
variable types.
6. Force variable types when assigning
values.
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Manipulate variables

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Module overview
In this Module, you'll learn how to identify the properties and methods for
use in your scripts and manipulate the contents of variables. Each
variable type has a unique set of properties that you can access and each
variable has a unique set of methods that you can use to manipulate it.

Units:
• Identifying methods and properties
• Working with strings
• Demonstration: Manipulating strings
• Working with dates
• Demonstration: Manipulating dates

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Identifying methods and properties

• A variable’s properties and methods are based on the variable type.

• To identify a variable’s properties and methods, use:
‒ Get-Member
‒ Tab completion
• Documentation for properties and methods is available in the
Microsoft .NET Framework Class Library.

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Working with strings

• The only property available for strings is Length.

• Some commonly used methods for strings are:
‒ Contains(string value)
‒ Insert(int startindex,string value)
‒ Remove(int startindex,int count)
‒ Replace(string value,string value)
‒ Split(char separator)
‒ ToLower()
‒ ToUpper()

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Demonstration: Manipulating strings

In this demonstration, you will learn how

to:
1. Use the Contains method.
2. Use the Insert method. DEMO
3. Use the Replace method.
4. Use the Split method.
5. Use the ToUpper method.
6. Use the ToLower method.

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Working with dates

• Commonly used DateTime • Commonly used DateTime

properties: methods:
– Hour – AddDays(double value)
– Date – ToLongDateString()
– Minute – AddHours(double value)
– DayOfWeek – ToShortDateString()
– Second – AddMinutes(double value)
– Month – ToLongTimeString()
– AddMonths(int value)
– ToShortTimeString()

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Demonstration: Manipulating dates

In this demonstration, you will learn how

to:
1. Put output from Get-Date into a
variable.
DEMO
2. Review date properties.
3. Use date methods.

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Manipulate arrays and hash tables

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Module overview
This Module covers arrays and hash tables, which you can use to store data
that's more complex than simple variables. You can also use them to complete
more complex tasks with your scripts.

Units:
• What is an array?
• Working with arrays
• Working with array lists
• Demonstration: Manipulating arrays and array lists
• What is a hash table?
• Working with hash tables
• Demonstration: Manipulating hash tables

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What is an array?
• An array contains multiple values or objects.
• Values can be assigned by:
‒ Providing a list:
$computers = “LON-DC1”,”LON-SRV1”,”LON-CL1”
‒ Using command output:
$users = Get-ADUser -Filter *
• You can create an empty array:
$newUsers = @()
• You can force an array to be created when adding only a single item:
[Array]$computers = “LON-DC1”

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Working with arrays
• To display all items in an array:
$users
• To display specific items in an array by using an index number:
$users[0]
• To add items to an array:
$users = $users + $user1
$users += $user1
• To pipe the array to Get-Member to identify what you can do with the
array contents:
$files | Get-Member

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Working with array lists
• Arrays are fixed-size, which limits performance and makes removing items
difficult.
• Arraylists are variable-sized.
• To create an arraylist:
‒ $computers = New-Object System.Collections.ArrayList
‒ [System.Collections.ArrayList]$computers = “LON-DC1”,”LON-SRV1”
• To add or remove items from an arraylist:
‒ $computers.Add(“LON-SVR2”)
‒ $computers.Remove(“LON-CL1”)
‒ $computers.RemoveAt(1)

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Demonstration: Manipulating arrays and array lists

In this demonstration, you will learn how

to:
1. Create an array.
2. Review the contents of an array. DEMO
3. Add items to an array.
4. Create an array list.
5. Review the contents of an array list.
6. Remove an item from an array list.

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What is a hash table?

• A hash table is a list of names and values.

• To refer to a value in the hash table, you provide the key:
‒ $servers.’LON-DC1’
‒ $servers[‘LON-DC1’]

Key IP address
LON-DC1 172.16.0.10
LON-SRV1 172.16.0.11
LON-SRV2 172.16.0.12

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Working with hash tables

• To define a hash table:

$servers = @{“LON-DC1”=“172.16.0.10”; “LON-
SRV1”=“172.16.0.11”}
• To add an item to a hash table:
$servers.Add(“LON-SRV2”,”172.16.0.12”)
• To remove an item from a hash table:
$servers.Remove(“LON-DC1”)
• To update a value for an item in a hash table:
$servers.’LON-SRV2’=“172.16.0.100”

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Demonstration: Manipulating hash tables

In this demonstration, you will learn how

to:
1. Create a hash table.
2. Review the contents of a hash table. DEMO
3. Add an item to a hash table.
4. Remove an item from a hash table.
5. Create a hash table for a calculated
property.

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Lab: Using variables, arrays, and hash tables in
PowerShell
Exercise 1: Working with variable Exercise 2: Using arrays
types

Exercise 3: Using hash tables

Sign-in information for the exercises:

Virtual machines: AZ-040T00A-LON-DC1 and AZ-040T00A-LON-CL1
Username: Adatum\Administrator
Password: Pa55w.rd

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Lab scenario

You’re preparing to create scripts to automate server administration in

your organization. Before you begin creating scripts, you want to
practice working with variables, arrays, and hash tables.

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Lab-review questions

In the “Using arrays” exercise, why did user objects in

$mktgUsers not update with the new department name?

How do you reference individual items in a hash table?

In Exercise 1, you replaced C: with D: in the variable $logPath.

Why is it better to include a colon rather than simply replace C with
D?

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Lab-review answers
In the “Using arrays” exercise, why did user objects in $mktgUsers not
update with the new department name?
When you query data and place it in a variable, the data in the variable is
a snapshot in time. If you want the data in the variable to be updated,
you need to query the data again.
How do you reference individual items in a hash table?
You reference hash table items based on the key name rather than an
index number.
In Exercise 1, you replaced C: with D: in the variable $logPath. Why is it
better to include colon than simply replace C with D?
In a file path, the colon character only appears once. By including the
colon as part of the text that is replaced, you ensure that only the drive
letter is updated. If you did not include the colon and if the path
contained the character C at any other location, it would be replaced as
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References
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System Namespace

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