Vista - why is $_.Name null for this?

I want to rename all my distribution groups display names to ahve a ~ in
front (just changing the display name to better organize our GAL). Why does
$_.Name come back null in this?

Get-DistributionGroup | Set-DistributionGroup -Displayname ("~" + $_.Name)

Can you try this?

Get-DistributionGroup | Set-DistributionGroup -Displayname {"~$_.Name"} -whatif
or
Get-DistributionGroup | ?{$_.Name -ne $null} | Set-DistributionGroup -Displayname
{"~$_.Name"} -whatif


Brandon Shell
---------------
Blog: http://www.bsonposh.com/
PSH Scripts Project: www.codeplex.com/psobject

J> I want to rename all my distribution groups display names to ahve a ~
J> in front (just changing the display name to better organize our GAL).
J> Why does $_.Name come back null in this?
J>
J> Get-DistributionGroup | Set-DistributionGroup -Displayname ("~" +
J> $_.Name)
J>

thanks for showing me the -whatif switch (just learned of it). However, it
doesn't seem to tell me what it would do to the group, just the groups that
it would ahve effected..not what it would ahve done to them. when I tried to
run it agaist a specific group it changed the display name to
"~$_.Name"

here was the test line I tried:
Get-DistributionGroup -identity DEPT-CAPE-IT | Set-DistributionGroup
-Displayname {"~$_.Name"} -whatif

"Brandon Shell [MVP]" wrote:

If you want the opposite. This will tell you the groups that are failing
(assuming there is actually an object)

Get-DistributionGroup | ?{$_.Name -eq $null}

I suspect your running into a bug with Get-DistributionGroup returning invalid
data.

Brandon Shell
---------------
Blog: http://www.bsonposh.com/
PSH Scripts Project: www.codeplex.com/psobject

J> thanks for showing me the -whatif switch (just learned of it).
J> However, it
J> doesn't seem to tell me what it would do to the group, just the
J> groups that
J> it would ahve effected..not what it would ahve done to them. when I
J> tried to
J> run it agaist a specific group it changed the display name to
J> "~$_.Name"
J> here was the test line I tried:
J> Get-DistributionGroup -identity DEPT-CAPE-IT | Set-DistributionGroup
J> -Displayname {"~$_.Name"} -whatif
J> "Brandon Shell [MVP]" wrote:
J>

I've run into this sort of problem with something being null that I expected
to contain data.. each time I ahve to "cheat" and dump data to a csv then
call it back in.. I had to do this one in two parts just like before:

Get-DistributionGroup | export-csv test.csv -notype

Import-Csv test.csv | foreach {Set-DistributionGroup -Identity $_.name
-Displayname ("~" + $_.name).ToString()}

all well.. someday I'll get good at powershell.. I really like it.. I'm just
having a hard time getting the proper syntax

"Brandon Shell [MVP]" wrote:

I don't understand your purpose.

Why doesnt this work for you? (minus the -whatif)
Get-DistributionGroup | ?{$_.Name -ne $null} | Set-DistributionGroup -Displayname
{"~$_.Name"} -whatif

Brandon Shell
---------------
Blog: http://www.bsonposh.com/
PSH Scripts Project: www.codeplex.com/psobject

J> I've run into this sort of problem with something being null that I
J> expected to contain data.. each time I ahve to "cheat" and dump data
J> to a csv then call it back in.. I had to do this one in two parts
J> just like before:
J>
J> Get-DistributionGroup | export-csv test.csv -notype
J>
J> Import-Csv test.csv | foreach {Set-DistributionGroup -Identity
J> $_.name -Displayname ("~" + $_.name).ToString()}
J>
J> all well.. someday I'll get good at powershell.. I really like it..
J> I'm just having a hard time getting the proper syntax
J>
J> "Brandon Shell [MVP]" wrote:
J>

when I ran that it renamed all ym distro lists to
"$_.Name"

"Brandon Shell [MVP]" wrote:

This bites everyone I believe that Brandon explained to me back last Sept
when I was started to use Powershell; but alas I've forgotten the exact
reason.

Unfortunately even when you really know what your doing you still make this
mistake

within quotes you _MUST_ add an extra $()

Get-DistributionGroup | ? {$_.Name -ne $null} | Set-DistributionGroup
-Displayname
^^^^^
(here you do not)
{"~$($_.Name)"} -whatif
^^^^^
(here you must)

Between this and Powershell not screeming at you when you make a misspell a
property i.e.

'hello'.lenght

I'm not sure which is more anonying but I'm consistently doing both.

"Jason" wrote:

That is correct... I completely missed the OP question. I was thinking about
the object being $null... didn't even think about string expansion.

Brandon Shell
---------------
Blog: http://www.bsonposh.com/
PSH Scripts Project: www.codeplex.com/psobject

BL> This bites everyone I believe that Brandon explained to me back last
BL> Sept when I was started to use Powershell; but alas I've forgotten
BL> the exact reason.
BL>
BL> Unfortunately even when you really know what your doing you still
BL> make this mistake
BL>
BL> within quotes you _MUST_ add an extra $()
BL>
BL> Get-DistributionGroup | ? {$_.Name -ne $null} |
BL> Set-DistributionGroup
BL> -Displayname
BL> ^^^^^
BL> (here you do not)
BL> {"~$($_.Name)"} -whatif
BL> ^^^^^
BL> (here you must)
BL> Between this and Powershell not screeming at you when you make a
BL> misspell a property i.e.
BL>
BL> 'hello'.lenght
BL>
BL> I'm not sure which is more anonying but I'm consistently doing both.
BL>
BL> "Jason" wrote:
BL>

Use the foreach cmdlet to make the automatic variable $_ available, this
should work:

Get-DistributionGroup | foreach { Set-DistributionGroup $_ -DisplayName ("~"+$_.name)}



-----
Shay Levi
$cript Fanatic
http://scriptolog.blogspot.com