How to get the results of LS into a variable :: Support Forum

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How to get the results of LS into a variable

2024-09-09 21:38

I want to automate the following:

Open my defined site
Run ls—which is a supported command—and have the output from it go to a variable, a file, *anything* that I can then read back into the next step of my PowerShell script.

Automation works fine. I can open my defined site, create directories, upload and download files. I'm guessing ls is working just fine, but there's no obvious way to capture the output.

How can I accomplish this?

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martin◆ Site Admin
Joined:: 2002-12-10
Posts:: 41,518
Location:: Prague, Czechia

Re: How to get the results of LS into a variable

2024-09-12

In PowerShell, do not use scripting. Use WinSCP .NET assembly:
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/library_powershell

Then you can use Session.ListDirectory to retrieve contents of a remote directory to a variable.
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/library_session_listdirectory

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OP Guest

2024-09-12 20:56

Martin, thanks. I'm not having success that way. I get this error:

 New-Object : The member "Site" was not found for the specified .NET object.
At line:5 char:23
+     $sessionOptions = New-Object WinSCP.SessionOptions -Property @{
+                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [New-Object], InvalidOperationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidOperationException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.NewObjectCommand
 
Error: Exception calling "Open" with "1" argument(s): "Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: sessionOptions"

I'm guessing it doesn't like this:

$sessionOptions = New-Object WinSCP.SessionOptions -Property @{
    Site = "MySiteName"
}

I have my site defined in the GUI. How do I invoke it as a property of SessionOptions?

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martin◆ Site Admin
Joined:: 2002-12-10
Posts:: 41,518
Location:: Prague, Czechia

2024-09-16

There's indeed no Site parameter.
WinSCP .NET assembly in general does not use GUI configuration. It's completely isolated.
You have to configure the session in the script using SessionOptions properties.
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/library_from_script#default_config

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