Use of variable issue

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Use of variable issue

as_1234

SSCrazy

Points: 2865

May 1, 2024 at 2:42 pm

#4417452

All,

I'm trying to set up some code in a SQL agent job.

The following code works as expected:

$sqlConn = New-Object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection
$sqlConn.ConnectionString = ""
$sqlcommand = $sqlConn.CreateCommand()
$sqlcommand.CommandText="Select filename from dbo.ssisfiles"
$DataAdapter = new-object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter $SqlCommand
$dataset = new-object System.Data.Dataset
$DataAdapter.Fill($dataset)
foreach ($Row in $dataset.Tables[0].Rows)
{ 
    if   (Test-Path -Path  "c:\as_demo.txt")
    {
      Throw "File exists"
    }
}

If the file c:\as_demo.txt exists the error is thrown. I'm trying to do the same thing with a variable but without success. I've tried several variations. My current version is:

$sqlConn = New-Object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection
$sqlConn.ConnectionString = ""
$sqlcommand = $sqlConn.CreateCommand()
$sqlcommand.CommandText="Select filename from dbo.ssisfiles"
$DataAdapter = new-object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter $SqlCommand
$dataset = new-object System.Data.Dataset
$DataAdapter.Fill($dataset)
foreach ($Row in $dataset.Tables[0].Rows)
{ 
    if   (Test-Path -Path  "$Row[0]")
    {
      Throw "File exists"
    }
}

That gives the error:'SQL Server PowerShell provider error: Path SQLSERVER:\System.Data.DataRow[0] does not exist. Please specify a valid path. '. Process Exit Code 0. The step succeeded.

Can anyone advise the correct syntax for using a variable?

The connectionstring and commandtext values are not blank in my testing, I just removed them from the code above.

Thanks

This topic was modified 7 months, 3 weeks ago by as_1234.
This topic was modified 7 months, 3 weeks ago by as_1234. Reason: Added in the commandtext

Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

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Perry Whittle SSC Guru Points: 234013 More actions · Answer 1

Path is not passed is it the intention to use a local drive as it’s not specified clearly in the 2nd script.

Bit more info on what it is you’re trying to achieve would help, what does the data from the row look like

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"Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

as_1234 SSCrazy Points: 2865 More actions · Answer 2

Hello,

Thanks for your help.

Apologies I didn't mean to be vague. I've now added the commandtext to my original post. At the moment the table has one row and the filename value is 'c:\as_demo.txt'.

What I'm trying to do is get the script to get a list of files from the database and throw an error if any of them exists.

I think in my second script above it's taking $Row[0] literally and not changing it to c:\as_demo.txt? If so I can't work out how to make it use the variable value instead of the name.

Perry Whittle SSC Guru Points: 234013 More actions · Answer 3

if   (Test-Path -Path  "$($Row)")
    {
      Throw "File exists"
    }

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

as_1234 SSCrazy Points: 2865 More actions · Answer 4

Thanks for your help. That gives me the error:

Message

Unable to start execution of step 1 (reason: line(10): Syntax error). The step failed.

This is the code:

$sqlConn = New-Object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection
$sqlConn.ConnectionString = ""
$sqlcommand = $sqlConn.CreateCommand()
$sqlcommand.CommandText="Select Filename from dbo.SSISFiles"
$DataAdapter = new-object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter $SqlCommand
$dataset = new-object System.Data.Dataset
$DataAdapter.Fill($dataset)
foreach ($Row in $dataset.Tables[0].Rows)
{ 
    if   (Test-Path -Path  "$($Row)")
    {
      Throw "File exists"
    }
}

I'll continue seeing if I can work it out.

Perry Whittle SSC Guru Points: 234013 More actions · Answer 5

Comment out the if block and try printing the contents of the $Row var see what’s inside it

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"Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

Jeffrey Williams SSC Guru Points: 90304 More actions · Answer 6

The problem here is the $ in the PS script. SQL Server Agent is attempting to use that as a token - and that is causing the failure. The only way to resolve that is to create a PS file (e.g. command.ps1) and call that from the agent.

You could try disabling token replacement - but that will disable it for all agent jobs.

Jeffrey Williams
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

― Charles R. Swindoll

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as_1234 SSCrazy Points: 2865 More actions · Answer 7

All,

Thanks for your help.

I think I may have just got it working with:

   if   (Test-Path -Path  $Row.Item(0))
    {
      Throw "File exists"
    }
}

I'm still testing. I'll post later to confirm whether it works or not.

frederico_fonseca SSCoach Points: 16167 More actions · Answer 8

just noticed this was part of a SQL Agent step.

word of advise - NEVER EVER use powershell directly on a step - either code it in C# on a SSIS package or create a powershell script and execute it from the step (cmd exec best option for me, but executing a script also possible from a PS step - but again avoid this last one)

as_1234 SSCrazy Points: 2865 More actions · Answer 9

Thanks for the advise.

If you don't mind me asking - why do you advise that? I'm not disagreeing, I'm asking because I'm new to Powershell and interested to learn.

I think using the cmd exec option means xp_cmdshell needs to be enabled?

frederico_fonseca SSCoach Points: 16167 More actions · Answer 10

as_1234 wrote:

Thanks for the advise.
If you don't mind me asking - why do you advise that? I'm not disagreeing, I'm asking because I'm new to Powershell and interested to learn.
I think using the cmd exec option means xp_cmdshell needs to be enabled?

powershell step on SQL Agent does not execute the standard powershell but rather a SQL one which has a few differences- and as mentioned above SQL Agent uses tokens which can affect the code you do.

the cmd exec is just the standard SQL Agent step of type "Operating system (cmdexec)" - it does not require enabling xp_cmdshell.

Perry Whittle SSC Guru Points: 234013 More actions · Answer 11

Aside what Fredrico stated, setup a credential and proxy for the agent job step exec type and run the job step under the proxy ensuring it has permissions granted where required

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"Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

as_1234 SSCrazy Points: 2865 More actions · Answer 12

All,

Thanks for your advise. I'll change to using Operating system (cmdexec).