get-childitem -include question

Everyone,

I was surprised by the results from this command:

get-childitem c:\* -include *

It looks like it recurses through subdirectories even though I didn't
specify -recurse. If I use:

get-childitem c:\* -include *.log

It only outputs *.log files in c:\.

The second command works as expected, but the first one doesn't.

Am I missing something obvious?

--
Bill Stewart

Bill Stewart wrote:
Oddly enough, this works as expected:

get-childitem c:\* -include $NULL

--
Bill Stewart

Hi Bill,

Notice that it doesn't do a full recurse, it only lists one level of each
directory. Now, why it happens?
Take a look at the help for the -include parameter, it can take list/dir
multiple paths (e.g. <string[]>).
Because you specified the contents of the directory (*) which means all items
+ the include parameter includes all items too (*) then
it performs a dir for each directory path it finds:

-include <string[]>
Retrieves only the specified items. The value of this parameter qualifies
the Path parameter. Enter a path elem
ent or pattern, such as "*.txt". Wildcards are permitted.

The Include parameter is effective only when the command includes
the Recurse parameter or the path leads to th
e contents of a directory, such as C:\Windows\*, where the wildcard
character specifies the contents of the C:\
Windows directory.


---
Shay Levy
Windows PowerShell MVP
blog: http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/ScriptFanatic



BS> Everyone,
BS>
BS> I was surprised by the results from this command:
BS>
BS> get-childitem c:\* -include *
BS>
BS> It looks like it recurses through subdirectories even though I
BS> didn't specify -recurse. If I use:
BS>
BS> get-childitem c:\* -include *.log
BS>
BS> It only outputs *.log files in c:\.
BS>
BS> The second command works as expected, but the first one doesn't.
BS>
BS> Am I missing something obvious?
BS>

Shay Levy [MVP] wrote:
Let me see if I can clarify what you're saying...suppose the following
directory structure:

C:\--+--dir1
|
+--dir2--+--dir2a
| |
| +--dir2b
|
+--dir3

If I write

get-childitem c:\* -include *

the cmdlet will retrieve all items from C:\, including its
subdirectories (dir1, dir2, and dir3). Since dir1, dir2, and dir3 are
directories, their contents will be retrieved as well, as if I wrote:

get-childitem c:\dir1
get-childitem c:\dir2
get-childitem c:\dir3

It seems to me that this is another example where get-childitem needs
container qualifiers (e.g., retrieve only non-containers). I've added my
vote on Connect.

--
Bill Stewart

Yes, you can get the directory list using:

PS > dir c:\* -include * | select directory -unique


Notice that directories that has no files in it won't show up.


---
Shay Levy
Windows PowerShell MVP
blog: http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/ScriptFanatic



BS> Shay Levy [MVP] wrote:
BS> BS> Let me see if I can clarify what you're saying...suppose the
BS> following directory structure:
BS>
BS> C:\--+--dir1
BS> |
BS> +--dir2--+--dir2a
BS> | |
BS> | +--dir2b
BS> |
BS> +--dir3
BS> If I write
BS>
BS> get-childitem c:\* -include *
BS>
BS> the cmdlet will retrieve all items from C:\, including its
BS> subdirectories (dir1, dir2, and dir3). Since dir1, dir2, and dir3
BS> are directories, their contents will be retrieved as well, as if I
BS> wrote:
BS>
BS> get-childitem c:\dir1
BS> get-childitem c:\dir2
BS> get-childitem c:\dir3
BS> It seems to me that this is another example where get-childitem
BS> needs container qualifiers (e.g., retrieve only non-containers).
BS> I've added my vote on Connect.
BS>