Fully parameterized PowerShell function for file removal

Question

I would like your opinion on my Remove-Files PowerShell function. It is used in my File-Removal-PowerShell-Script. It is designed to be very flexible so a script user can have configure it to remove files in multiple and various way as it often the chase.

Remove-Files function

function Remove-Files { [CmdletBinding(SupportsShouldProcess = $true)] [OutputType([PSCustomObject])] param ( [Parameter(Position = 0, Mandatory, ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName)] [string] $FolderPath, [Parameter(Position = 1, Mandatory, ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName)] [string] $FileName, [Parameter(Position = 2, ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName)] [int] $OlderThen = 0, [Parameter(Position = 3, ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName)] [string] $Recurse = "false", [Parameter(Position = 4, ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName)] [string] $Force = "false" ) begin { $DateToDelete = (Get-Date).AddDays(- $OlderThen) } process { $FolderSpaceFreed = 0 $FilesRemoved = 0 $FailedRemovals = 0 if (-not (Test-Path -Path $FolderPath)) { Write-Log -Message "ERROR: $FolderPath folder does not exist" return } $FullPath = Join-Path -Path $FolderPath -ChildPath $FileName if ($Recurse -eq "true") { $FileList = Get-ChildItem -Path $FullPath -Recurse } else { $FileList = Get-ChildItem -Path $FullPath } $FileList = $FileList | Where-Object {$_.LastWriteTime -lt $DateToDelete} foreach ($File in $FileList) { $FileSize = (Get-Item -Path $File.FullName).Length $SpaceFreed = Get-FormattedFileSize -Size $FileSize if ($Force -eq "true") { Get-Item -Path $File.FullName | Remove-Item -Force } else { Get-Item -Path $File.FullName | Remove-Item } if (-not (Test-Path -Path $File.FullName)) { $Message = "Successfully deleted " + $File.Name + " file - removed $SpaceFreed" $FolderSpaceFreed += $FileSize $FilesRemoved ++ } else { $Message = "Failed to delete " + $File.Name + " file" $FailedRemovals ++ } Write-Log -Message $Message } $SpaceFreed = Get-FormattedFileSize -Size $FolderSpaceFreed if ($FilesRemoved -gt 0) { Write-Log -Message "Successfully deleted $FilesRemoved files in $FolderPath folder, and $SpaceFreed of space was freed" } if ($FailedRemovals -gt 0) { Write-Log -Message "Failed to delete $FailedRemovals files in $FolderPath folder" } if ($FilesRemoved -eq 0 -and $FailedRemovals -eq 0) { Write-Log -Message "No files for delition were found in $FolderPath folder" } New-Object -TypeName psobject -Property @{ FolderSpaceFreed = $FolderSpaceFreed FilesRemoved = $FilesRemoved FailedRemovals = $FailedRemovals } } } 

Before someone says anything about it, I have to tell you why I did not use a switch type for -Recurse and -Force parameters, and it is because the function is feed from .csv file with data, and I did not find a elegant way to pass string value to a switch parameter.

Answer 1

I have found a way to use pass string values to switch parameters to Remove-Files function so I have refactored the function ho have two switch parameters.

The new version

function Remove-Files { [CmdletBinding(SupportsShouldProcess = $true)] [OutputType([PSCustomObject])] param ( [Parameter(Mandatory = $true, Position = 0, ParameterSetName = "FolderPath", ValueFromPipeline = $false, ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = $true, HelpMessage = "Full folder path in which file/files are to be deleted")] [string] $FolderPath, [Parameter(Mandatory = $true, Position = 1, ParameterSetName = "FileName", ValueFromPipeline = $false, ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = $true, HelpMessage = "File name that can include wildcard character")] [SupportsWildcards()] [string] $FileName, [Parameter(Mandatory = $false, Position = 2, ParameterSetName = "OlderThen", ValueFromPipeline = $false, ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = $true, HelpMessage = "Number of days to delete files older than that")] [int] $OlderThen = 0, [Parameter(Mandatory = $false, Position = 3, ParameterSetName = "Recurse", ValueFromPipeline = $false, ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = $true, HelpMessage = "Switch on to file remove files in subfolders")] [switch] $Recurse = $false, [Parameter(Mandatory = $false, Position = 4, ParameterSetName = "Force", ValueFromPipeline = $false, ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = $true, HelpMessage = "Switch on to force remove files")] [switch] $Force = $false ) process { $FolderSpaceFreed = 0 $FilesRemoved = 0 $FailedRemovals = 0 if (-not (Test-Path -Path $FolderPath)) { Write-Log -Message "ERROR: $FolderPath folder does not exist" return } $FullPath = Join-Path -Path $FolderPath -ChildPath $FileName if ($Recurse) { $FileList = Get-ChildItem -Path $FullPath -Recurse } else { $FileList = Get-ChildItem -Path $FullPath } $DateToDelete = (Get-Date).AddDays(- $OlderThen) $FileList = $FileList | Where-Object {$_.CreationTime -lt $DateToDelete} foreach ($File in $FileList) { $FileSize = (Get-Item -Path $File.FullName).Length $SpaceFreed = Get-FormattedFileSize -Size $FileSize if ($Force) { Get-Item -Path $File.FullName | Remove-Item -Force } else { Get-Item -Path $File.FullName | Remove-Item } if (-not (Test-Path -Path $File.FullName)) { $Message = "Successfully deleted " + $File.Name + " file - removed $SpaceFreed" $FolderSpaceFreed += $FileSize $FilesRemoved ++ } else { $Message = "Failed to delete " + $File.Name + " file" $FailedRemovals ++ } Write-Log -Message $Message } $SpaceFreed = Get-FormattedFileSize -Size $FolderSpaceFreed if ($FilesRemoved -gt 0) { Write-Log -Message "Successfully deleted $FilesRemoved files in $FolderPath folder, and $SpaceFreed of space was freed" } if ($FailedRemovals -gt 0) { Write-Log -Message "Failed to delete $FailedRemovals files in $FolderPath folder" } if ($FilesRemoved -eq 0 -and $FailedRemovals -eq 0) { Write-Log -Message "No files for delition were found in $FolderPath folder" } New-Object -TypeName psobject -Property @{ FolderSpaceFreed = $FolderSpaceFreed FilesRemoved = $FilesRemoved FailedRemovals = $FailedRemovals } } }