What is the syntax for piping LiteralPath to Get-ChildItem

According to the help this does accept pipeline input as long as it's by name.

However I've tried the either of these and had no success.

'-LiteralPath c:\' | GetChildItem

or a more complex expression

'-LiteralPath "C:\Program Files"' | GetChildItem

In each case the results are the same. Get-ChildItem reports the error that
it can't find the drive specified in the pipe.

thx
bob

(output from trace-object)

......

DEBUG: ParameterBinding Information: 0 : BIND PIPELINE object to parameters:
[Get-ChildItem]
DEBUG: ParameterBinding Information: 0 : PIPELINE object TYPE =
[System.String]
DEBUG: ParameterBinding Information: 0 : RESTORING pipeline parameter's
original values
DEBUG: ParameterBinding Information: 0 : Parameter [Path] PIPELINE INPUT
ValueFromPipeline NO COERCION
DEBUG: ParameterBinding Information: 0 : BIND arg [-literalpath 'c:\']
to parameter [Path]

.....

Get-ChildItem : Cannot find drive. A drive with name '-literalpath 'c' does
not exist.
At line:1 char:84
+ trace-command -name parameterbinding,cmdlet -expression {"-literalpath
'c:\'" | gci} <<<< -pshost

On Oct 6, 4:59 am, Bob Landau <BobLan...@xxxxxx>
wrote: The LiteralPath parameter accepts pipeline input, but only by property
name. This means that the object on the pipeline has to have a
property named LiteralPath in order for Get-ChildItem's LiteralPath
parameter to be filled. The object you are sending it is just a
string, so it doesn't have this information. Contrast this with Get-
ChildItem's Path parameter, which can also take input by value. This
is why the following will work:

"C:\Program Files" | Get-ChildItem

Jeff

Complementing Jeff's answer with a sample:

ByPropertyName means that the piped object must have a property name equal to the Cmdlet's parameter.

# create a new dir whose name contains brackets, as you know
# get-childItem's -path parameter will not 'get' these items,
# need to use -literalPath
new-item c:\ -name test[1] -type directory

# create a few child items in it
0..4 | % {new-item c:\test``[1``] -n file$_.txt -t file}

# no results
get-childItem C:\test[1]

# eventhough they do exist
get-childItem -literalPath C:\test[1]

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
# -< obj.csv >-
# Name,LiteralPath
# "test[1]","C:\test[1]"
# "Program Files","C:\Program Files"
# -< obj.csv >-
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

# create an object from a CSV file that contains
# a field named LiteralPath
$obj = import-csv obj.csv

# get-childItem takes that value byPropertyName
# when the object is piped to it
$obj | get-childItem

# remove test dir and its children
remove-item -literalPath C:\test[1] -recurse

--
Kiron

This does make sense (like most things in hindsight)

Unfortunately it does make it more difficult to construct ad-hoc pipe
parameters

Regardless you explaination is Much Appreciated.

thx
bob

"Jeff" wrote:

Thank you Kiron,

Both you and Jeff have help me understand this better. I know need to take
your exampe and work with it

bob

"Kiron" wrote:

Glad to help Bob.
I used export-csv to create the object in the sample, but you could also create a LiteralPath property for DirectoryInfo and FileInfo objects through PowerShell's ETS or add a member to a live object with add-member. Also, to save and later retrieve custom objects you can use export-csv, export-cliXml and import-csv, import-cliXml respectively.

--
Kiron

Excuse the mistake:
I used import-csv ...

--
Kiron