Exact match using Powershell from a string variable

Question

I have tried applications applications of Select-String or -match etc to get what I need. It is just not happening. Using the string as examples.. I am searching a text file so I can then grab to the ed of the line for each match so I can save the data after the string.

& data df put king/man/ConnString
& data df put king/man/ConnStringLog
& data df put king/man/ConnStringSession

For example, if I look for the string "& data df put king/man/ConnString" using -SimpleMatch I get all three lines returned like the following:

& data df put king/man/ConnString "Connection data 1"
& data df put king/man/ConnStringLog "Connection Log data"
& data df put king/man/ConnStringSession "Conn String data"

I want an exact match so I can then grab save the data after "& data df put king/man/ConnString" and I am left with "Connection data 1" as well as for each other line I search for like

& data df put king/man/ConnStringLog
& data df put king/man/ConnStringSession

Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

You can search for those different strings like below:

# read the text as single multiline string
$text = Get-Content -Path 'X:\Somewhere\yourfile.txt' -Raw
# create a regex string with placeholder {0}
$regex = '(?m)^& data df put king/man/{0}\s+(".+")'
# clear some variables
$connString = $connStringLog = $ConnStringSession = $null
$connString = if ($text -match ($regex -f 'ConnString')) {
    $matches[1]  # --> "Connection data 1"
}

$connStringLog = if ($text -match ($regex -f 'ConnStringLog')) {
    $matches[1]  # --> "Connection Log data"
}

$ConnStringSession = if ($text -match ($regex -f 'ConnStringSession')) {
    $matches[1]  # --> "Conn String data"
}

Or use regex -replace:

# read the text as single multiline string
$text = Get-Content -Path 'X:\Somewhere\yourfile.txt' -Raw
# create a regex string with placeholder {0}
$regex = '(?sm).*^& data df put king/man/{0}\s+("[^"]+").*'
$connString = $text -replace ($regex -f 'ConnString'), '$1'
$connStringLog = $text -replace ($regex -f 'ConnStringLog'), '$1'
$ConnStringSession = $text -replace ($regex -f 'ConnStringSession'), '$1'

$connString         # --> "Connection data 1"
$connStringLog      # --> "Connection Log data"
$ConnStringSession  # --> "Conn String data"

P.S. If you also need the search to be case-sensitive, then change -match into -cmatch in the first code and -replace into -creplace for the second code

---

As per your comment the wanted data may or may not be quoted as in your example lines, then change the regex creation in the first code block into

$regex = '(?m)^& data df put king/man/{0}\s+(.+)'

^{Basically remove the quotes in the regex}

As alternative, here's another approach using switch (line-by-line):

# clear some variables
$connString = $connStringLog = $ConnStringSession = $null
switch -Regex -File 'X:\Somewhere\yourfile.txt' {
    '^& data df put king/man/ConnString\s+(.+)$'        { $connString = $matches[1] }
    '^& data df put king/man/ConnStringLog\s+(.+)$'     { $connStringLog = $matches[1] }
    '^& data df put king/man/ConnStringSession\s+(.+)$' { $ConnStringSession = $matches[1] }
}

$connString         # --> Connection data 1
$connStringLog      # --> Connection Log data
$ConnStringSession  # --> Conn String data