Check if the Read-Host input value is a String or an Integer or Float

Question

I am creating a script to grab a user input share path or path and that will provide permission list of the provided path. Using Read-Host command-let I am asking user to provide input for number of paths he requires and thereby he/she needs to put on the paths one by one which will provide the ACL list. While doing this I'm getting issue where user inputs a wrong input such as if user provide an input which is not an integer or is a double value or its a string so it should go to my if condition and again he/she re-types the wrong number it would end up the script and would ask for re-run of the script.

I have tried below script however at line 4 I am totally stuck. here is the full code I have written. At line 3 when I input a value say 1.2 or any string value say Hello or any negative integer or 0 value, it should go to Line 4, else it should go to elseif which is line 36. Can someone help me out to fix this. I know I can do it in a shorter manner but something here is violating.

Clear-Host
Get-Date
$num_path= Read-Host "`n `n Enter number of paths"
if (($num_path -as [int]) -le 0 -or ($num_path -as [double]) -is [double])
{
    Write-Host "Error: Value you have Entered is either less than or equal to 0 or not an interger or it is a String value.`nKindly enter correct value." -ForegroundColor Black -BackgroundColor Cyan
    $New_num_path= Read-Host "`n `n Re-Enter number of paths"
    if (($New_num_path -as [int]) -gt 0 -and !($New_num_path -as [double]) -is [double])
    {

        Write-Host "`n `n \\ServerName\FilePath `n `n Enter File Path in above format"
        For($i=1; $i -le $New_num_path; $i++)
        {
            $paths= Read-Host "`n `nEnter File path no. $i " #Enter path with $ sign after drive name e.g E$\Applications
            Write-Host "`n `n"
            if (Test-Path -Path $paths)
            {
                foreach($path in $paths)
                {
                    Get-Acl -Path $path | fl
                }
            }

            Else
            {
                Write-Host "Error: Path '$paths' does not exist" -ForegroundColor Black -BackgroundColor Cyan
            }
        }
    }
    Else
    {
        Write-Host "Error: You have input wrong value. Kindly Re-run the script again." -ForegroundColor Black -BackgroundColor Cyan
    }

}
Elseif(($num_path -as [int]) -gt 0)
{

    Write-Host "`n `n \\ServerName\FilePath `n `n Enter File Path in above format"
    For($i=1; $i -le $num_path; $i++)
    {
        $paths= Read-Host "`n `nEnter File path no. $i " #Enter path with $ sign after drive name e.g E$\Applications
        Write-Host "`n `n"
        if (Test-Path -Path $paths)
        {
            foreach($path in $paths)
            {
                Get-Acl -Path $path | fl
            }
        }

        Else
        {
            Write-Host "Error: Path '$paths' does not exist" -ForegroundColor Black -BackgroundColor Cyan
        }
    }
}
Else
{
    Write-Host "Error: You have input wrong value. Kindly Re-run the script again." -ForegroundColor Black -BackgroundColor Cyan
}
Write-Host "`n `n `n `t `t `t------------------------------------------------------THE END------------------------------------------------------`n"

Possible duplicate of [In PowerShell, how can I test if a variable holds a numeric value?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/10928030/in-powershell-how-can-i-test-if-a-variable-holds-a-numeric-value) — JosefZ, May 19 '19 at 12:45
Possible duplicate of [In Powershell what is the idiomatic way of converting a string to an int?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9700627/in-powershell-what-is-the-idiomatic-way-of-converting-a-string-to-an-int) — , May 19 '19 at 12:50
Thanks for replying however my concern is if a user inputs anything it would come to me as a string right... But I have to check if that variable consists of an integer which is less than or equal to 0, or a string or a double value. and if consists any of these then that should goto line 4 which is if condition. — Ishan Sharma, May 19 '19 at 13:35

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered May 19 '19 at 11:48

I think a small helper function could come in handy. Something like this perhaps:

function Ask-Integer {
    [CmdletBinding()]
    param(
        [string]$Prompt = 'Please enter a value.',
        [string]$CancelOption = $null,
        [int]$MinValue = [int]::MinValue,
        [int]$MaxValue = [int]::MaxValue
    )

    # enter an endless loop
    while ($true) {
        Clear-Host

        [int]$value = 0
        if ($CancelOption) { 
            Write-Host "Type $CancelOption to cancel." -ForegroundColor Yellow
        }
        $result = Read-Host $Prompt

        # user cancelled, exit function and return nothing
        if ($result -eq $CancelOption) { return $null }

        if ([int]::TryParse($result, [ref]$value)) {
            if ($value -ge $MinValue -and $value -le $MaxValue) {
                return $value
            }
        }

        # if we got here, the user entered something other than the wanted integer, so try again
        Write-Warning "Invalid choice.. Please enter a whole number between $MinValue and $MaxValue."
        Sleep -Seconds 3
    }
}

You use it like this:

# use the function to return an integer value or $null if the user cancelled
$num_path = Ask-Integer -Prompt 'Enter the number of paths' -CancelOption 'Q' -MinValue 1 -MaxValue 10
# test if the user did not cancel
if ($null -ne $num_path) {

    # rest of your code

}

Check if the Read-Host input value is a String or an Integer or Float

1 Answers1