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Parse PDQ Inventory CLI Output data

Avatar
Lavar Lawrence

Trying to parse data to collect info via code from inventory directly.

Basically from PowerShell I save the output

$compdata = PDQInventory GetComputer $compname

 

output is formatted like this (I shortened it a bit)

Name : compname
ID : number

Operating System
Name : Microsoft Windows 11 Enterprise Insider Preview
Version : 10.0.22463.1000

Active Directory
Path : AD Path

System
Manufacturer : Dell Inc.
Model : Model

 

How do I go about converting this into a format that I can parse through and grab the name or ip like json?

I've tried to pipe ConvertTo-Json but the output I get is not as expected and I can't seem to parse it properly.

 

 

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Comments

2 comments
Date Votes
  • Avatar
    Colby Bouma

    Unfortunately, that command was never built to be computer parsable. You can try to use -split and Select-String, but it's likely to be error prone. I have a couple of alternatives:

    1. Use an Auto Report to export the data you want to a CSV file.
    2. Install my PowerShell module named PdqStuff, then use Get-PdqInventoryComputerData.
    Install-Module -Name 'PdqStuff'
    Import-Module -Name 'PdqStuff'

    Read the warning, then:

    Get-Help Get-PdqInventoryComputerData -Full
    0
  • Avatar
    Lavar Lawrence

    Colby Bouma

    Thanks Colby!

    I went through the module but I'm notorious for locking our database up when using anything with a hint of SQL so I ended up using code from here for the time being.

    https://stackoverflow.com/questions/69397291/powershell-convert-data-to-json-for-parsing

    code:

    $computer = "some_computer"

    $computerData = PDQInventory.exe GetComputer -computer $computer 

    $computerData | Get-Content -Path C:\output.txt
$hashObj = @{}
$hashObj2 = @{}
$category = "Host"
foreach($line in $output){
    if($line -cnotmatch ":" -and $line -ne " "){
        $category = $line
        $categoryChanged = $true
        $hashObj2 = @{}
    }
    if($line -cmatch ":"){
        $data = $line.Split(":")
        $key = $($data[0].trim(' '))
        $val = $($data[1].trim(' '))
        $hashObj2.Add("$key","$val")
        if(!($hashObj.ContainsKey($category))){
            $hashObj.Add("$category",$hashObj2)
        }
        else{
            $hashObj."$category".Add("$key","$val")
        }
        $hashObj2 = @{}
    }
}

$jsonObj = $hashObj | convertto-json

    At the end of it I convert back from json and remove the file made before.

    $parseObj = $jsonObj | convertfrom-json

    Remove-Item -Path C:\output.txt

    Then i'm able to parse through the data through the $parseObj variable.

     

     

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