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Script Runs Fine in Debug, Errors in Normal Run

Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2020 8:16 am
by kdwisdom
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Product: PowerShell Studio 2020 (64 Bit)
Build: v5.7.178
OS: Windows 10 Enterprise (64 Bit)
Build: v10.0.18362.0

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I use the below script ( a little more comes above it, but this is where it is breaking) to update our Employee ID's in the AD Extension employeeID field.

Something weird is happening, I am not sure if it is with the way it counts the INTs or what, but when I run it with just the play button (or through a compiled EXE) it errors out and says check the spelling of "*S*", but when I run it in DEBUG mode, no errors whatsoever.

This makes it difficult to debug when debug mode works fine but production mode does not. Any ideas?

  1. function Update-EIDs
  2. {
  3.     $logfile = "Log File for Employee EID Updates in AD`r`n`r`n" #Preps the logfile
  4.     $todaysDate = get-date #Gets the date for the logfile
  5.     $logDate = $todaysDate.ToShortDateString() #Formats the date for the logfile
  6.     $LogfilenameDate = get-date -format MMddyy #Gets the date for the filename
  7.     $logfileName = "EID Update Log for " + $LogfilenameDate #Sets the filename for the log
  8.     $logfilePath = "\\server\homedrives\myuser\" + $logfileName + ".txt" #Sets the full path for the log file
  9.     $global:logDate = (Get-Date -Format "MMM dd yyyy")
  10.     try
  11.     {
  12.        
  13.         $i = 0
  14.         [int]$total = ($eids | Measure-Object).Count
  15.         while ($i -lt $total)
  16.         {
  17.             $wildcard = "*" + $eidusers[$i] + "*"
  18.             $currentuser = Get-ADUser -Filter { name -like $wildcard -and name -notlike "*(Elevated)*" } | select -ExpandProperty samaccountname
  19.             Set-ADUser $currentuser -EmployeeID $eids[$i]
  20.             $i++
  21.         }
  22.        
  23.         [System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox]::Show('Success')
  24.     }
  25.     catch
  26.     {
  27.         if ($i -eq ($lines | Measure-Object).Count) { Return }
  28.         else
  29.         {
  30.            
  31.             $errorMessage = "Check spelling of" + $wildcard
  32.             [System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox]::Show($errorMessage) #Shows an exception error message if there is one. This will happen if the list you received has a misspelled name or if it couldn't find the user (if they have spaces in their name where they shouldn't, etc...)
  33.         }
  34.        
  35.     }

Re: Script Runs Fine in Debug, Errors in Normal Run

Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2020 8:26 am
by Alexander Riedel
Can you please add the PowerShell version you are using and the exception error message if any?

Re: Script Runs Fine in Debug, Errors in Normal Run

Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2020 9:45 am
by kdwisdom
V5 64 bit.

I have a custom error message there, I don't get an exception error, I would need to tweak the code to do that.

This has run fine for the past 6+ months and just recently stopped working

Re: Script Runs Fine in Debug, Errors in Normal Run

Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:05 am
by kdwisdom
This issue is still persisting. Works absolutely fine when I go through step by step in debug mode, but running it in production or via the compiled executable, it is breaking somewhere along the line.

What I am doing is having it run get-aduser -filter {name -like "*last, first*"}

For some reason, it is only grabbing 1 character in the wildcard when I run it in regular (non-debug) mode. It will pop up an error message "Check the Spelling of "*M*", but runs with flying colors in debug mode.

It is very strange that it would break in non-debug mode. Makes it hard to troubleshoot what is going on.

Re: Script Runs Fine in Debug, Errors in Normal Run

Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:10 pm
by Alexander Riedel
Very odd. Usually something like this results from a timing issue. I will move this over to the general PowerShell section, maybe someone else has an idea about this.

Re: Script Runs Fine in Debug, Errors in Normal Run

Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:36 pm
by jvierra
It would be best if you took time to correctly format your code. As posted it is mostly unreadable. I copied and fixed the formatting so I could figure it out.

First the code is incomplete as teh function is missing the end closure.
The IF/ELSE is incorrect as it may not be executed correctly as formatted. It is a subtle issue in PS that has always been there.

IF/ELSE should be formatted like this:

Code: Select all

if(...){
    ...
}else{
     ...
}
This will always avoid these subtle issues.

You are never handling errors short of a message when one condition is true.

It is best practice to pass values to functions as parameters. This avoids many issues, Makes the function self-contained and makes debugging much easier.


The following link will help you understand how to correctly construct code.
https://poshcode.gitbooks.io/powershell ... and-style/

The following would be the better way to do this. Any logging should be external to any function.

Code: Select all

function Update-EIDs{
    param(
        [array]$eid,
        [array]$eiduser
    )
 
    try{
        for($i=0;$i -lt $eids.Count;$i++){
            $user = $eidusers[$i]
            if($currentuser = Get-ADUser -Filter "Name -like '*$user*' -and name -notlike '*(Elevated)*"){
                Set-ADUser $currentuser -EmployeeID $eids[$i]
                [System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox]::Show("$user Success")
            }else{
                [System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox]::Show("$user not found")
            }
        }
    }
    catch{
        [System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox]::Show("$_")
    }
}
Notice how my formatting is much easier to read.