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.

• JosefZ: ... -Force:$($Force -eq "true") is a possible way to pass a [string]$Force value to the -Force 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
 }
 }
}