ConvertFrom-SourceTable

Converts a fixed column table to objects.

Syntax

ConvertFrom-SourceTable
    [-InputObject <String[]>]
    [-Header <String[]>]
    [-Ruler <String>]
    [-HorizontalDash <Char> = '-']
    [-VerticalDash <Char> = '|']
    [-Junction <Char> = '+']
    [-Anchor <Char> = ':']
    [-Omit <String>]
    [-ParseRightAligned]
    [-Literal]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The ConvertFrom-SourceTable cmdlet creates objects from a fixed column source table possibly surrounded by horizontal and/or vertical rulers.

Definitions:

• The width of a source table column is outlined by the header width, the ruler width and the width of the data.

• Column and Data alignment (none, left, right or justified) is defined by the existence of any (non-separator) character at the start or end of a column.

• Column alignment (which is used for a default field alignment) is defined by the first and last character or space of the header and the ruler of the outlined column.

Examples

Example 1: Restore objects from a Format-Table output

The following loads the file properties from general PowerShell output table:

$Files = ConvertFrom-SourceTable '
Mode                LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                -------------         ------ ----
d----l       11/16/2018   8:30 PM                Archive
-a---l        5/22/2018  12:05 PM          (726) Build-Expression.ps1
-a---l       11/16/2018   7:38 PM           2143 CHANGELOG
-a---l       11/17/2018  10:42 AM          14728 ConvertFrom-SourceTable.ps1
-a---l       11/17/2018  11:04 AM          23909 ConvertFrom-SourceTable.Tests.ps1
-a---l         8/4/2018  11:04 AM         (6237) Import-SourceTable.ps1'

Note that it is generally not a good practice to use console output cmdlets as e.g. Format-Table for anything else than displaying the results.

Example 2: Convert from a markdown table

The following command loads a list of employee objects from a markdown table:

$Employees = ConvertFrom-SourceTable '
| Department  | Name    | Country |
| ----------- | ------- | ------- |
| Sales       | Aerts   | Belgium |
| Engineering | Bauer   | Germany |
| Sales       | Cook    | England |
| Engineering | Duval   | France  |
| Marketing   | Evans   | England |
| Engineering | Fischer | Germany |'

Example 3: Parse right aligned data

In the following example each item in the (hexadecimal) Value column will be parsed to integer value and each item in the RGB column to an array with three values.

$Colors = ConvertFrom-SourceTable -Parse '
Name       Value         RGB
----       -----         ---
Black   0x000000       0,0,0
White   0xFFFFFF 255,255,255
Red     0xFF0000     255,0,0
Lime    0x00FF00     0,255,0
Blue    0x0000FF     0,0,255
Yellow  0xFFFF00   255,255,0
Cyan    0x00FFFF   0,255,255
Magenta 0xFF00FF   255,0,255
Silver  0xC0C0C0 192,192,192
Gray    0x808080 128,128,128
Maroon  0x800000     128,0,0
Olive   0x808000   128,128,0
Green   0x008000     0,128,0
Purple  0x800080   128,0,128
Teal    0x008080   0,128,128
Navy    0x000080     0,0,128'

$Colors | Where {$_.Name -eq "Red"}

Name    Value RGB
----    ----- ---
Red  16711680 {255, 0, 0}

Example 4: Custom column types

In the following example each item in the first column is casted to a version object and each item in the second column to a DateTime object.
Notice that the type name is used as a property name in case column name is omitted.

$ChangeLog = ConvertFrom-SourceTable -Parse '
[Version] [DateTime]Date Author      Comments
--------- -------------- ------      --------
0.0.10    2018-05-03     Ronald Bode First design
0.0.20    2018-05-09     Ronald Bode Pester ready version
0.0.21    2018-05-09     Ronald Bode removed support for String[] types
0.0.22    2018-05-24     Ronald Bode Better "right aligned" definition
0.0.23    2018-05-25     Ronald Bode Resolved single column bug
0.0.24    2018-05-26     Ronald Bode Treating markdown table input as an option
0.0.25    2018-05-27     Ronald Bode Resolved error due to blank top lines'

Parameters

-InputObject <String[]>

Specifies the source table strings to be converted to objects. Enter a variable that contains the source table strings or type a command or expression that gets the source table strings. You might also pipe the source table strings to ConvertFrom-SourceTable.

Note that streamed table rows are intermediately processed and released for the next cmdlet. In this mode, there is a higher possibility that floating tables or column data cannot be determined to be part of a specific column (as there is no overview of the table data that follows). To resolve this, provide all rows in once or use one of the following -Header and/or -Ruler parameters.

Type:	String[]
Mandatory:	False
Position:	Named
Default value:
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Header <String[]>

A string that defines the header line of an headless table or a multiple strings where each item represents the column name. In case the header contains a single string, it is used to define the (property) names, the size and alignment of the column, therefore it is key that the columns names are properly aligned with the rest of the column (including any table indents). If the header contains multiple strings, each string will be used to define the property names of each object. In this case, column alignment is based on the rest of the data and possible ruler.

Tip

To skip a column, set the header name of the concerned column index to an empty string (or $Null).

Type:	String[]
Mandatory:	False
Position:	Named
Default value:
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Ruler <String>

A string that replaces any (horizontal) ruler in the input table which helps to define character columns in occasions where the table column margins are indefinable.

Type:	String
Mandatory:	False
Position:	Named
Default value:
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-HorizontalDash <Char>

This parameter (Alias -HDash) defines the horizontal ruler character. By default, each streamed table row (or a total raw table) will be searched for a ruler existing out of horizontal dash characters (-), spaces and possible vertical dashes. If the ruler is found, the prior line is presumed to be the header. If the ruler is not found within the first (two) streamed data lines, the first line is presumed the header line. If -HorizontalDash explicitly defined, all (streamed) lines will be searched for a matching ruler. If -HorizontalDash is set to $Null, the first data line is presumed the header line (unless the -VerticalDash parameter is set).

Type:	Char
Mandatory:	False
Position:	Named
Default value:	'-'
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-VerticalDash <Char>

This parameter (Alias -VDash) defines the vertical ruler character. By default, each streamed table row (or a total raw table) will be searched for a header with vertical dash characters (|). If the header is not found within the first streamed data line, the first line is presumed the header line. If -VerticalDash explicitly defined, all (streamed) lines will be searched for a header with a vertical dash character. If -VerticalDash is set to $Null, the first data line is presumed the header line (unless the -HorizontalDash parameter is set).

Type:	Char
Mandatory:	False
Position:	Named
Default value:	'|'
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Junction <Char>

The -Junction parameter (default: "+") defines the character used for the junction between the horizontal ruler and vertical ruler.

Type:	Char
Mandatory:	False
Position:	Named
Default value:	'+'
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Anchor <Char>

The -Anchor parameter (default: :) defines the character used for the alignment anchor. If used in the header row, it will be used to define the default alignment, meaning that justified (full width) values will be parsed.

Type:	Char
Mandatory:	False
Position:	Named
Default value:	':'
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Omit <String>

A string of characters to omit from the header and data. Each omitted character will be replaced with a space.

Type:	String
Mandatory:	False
Position:	Named
Default value:
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-ParseRightAligned

This parameter will cause any right aligned data to be parsed according to the following formatting and alignment rules:

• Data that is left aligned will be parsed to the generic column type which is a string by default.

• Data that is right aligned will be parsed.

• Data that is justified (using the full column with) is following the the header alignment and parsed if the header is right aligned.

• The default column type can be set by prefixing the column name with a standard (PowerShell) cast operator (a data type enclosed in square brackets, e.g.: [Int]ID)

Caution

Take reasonable precautions when using the -ParseRightAligned parameter in scripts. When using the -ParseRightAligned parameter to convert data from a table, verify that the data is safe to be parsed before running it.

Type:	SwitchParameter
Mandatory:	False
Position:	Named
Default value:
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Literal

Type:	SwitchParameter
Mandatory:	False
Position:	Named
Default value:
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

Related Links

• https://github.com/iRon7/ConvertFrom-SourceTable