How to remove space from an array (powershell) - sql

Question

I have a script that reads TAB seperated .TXT file and grabs information from a table and then it creates a .SQL script based off of the names in the list. But every time a $Variable[#] is called it adds an extra space.
This space does not exist in the source data. I am looking for a method of trimming it.
$start | Out-File -filepath $target1 -append
$infile = $source1
$reader = [System.IO.File]::OpenText($infile)
$writer = New-Object System.IO.StreamWriter $file1;
$counter = 1
try {
while (($line = $reader.ReadLine()) -ne $null)
{
$myarray=$line -split "\t" | foreach {$_.Trim()}
If ($myarray[1] -eq "") {$myarray[1]=”~”}
If ($myarray[2] -eq "") {$myarray[2]=”~”}
If ($myarray[3] -eq "") {$myarray[3]=”~”}
If ($myarray[4] -eq "") {$myarray[4]=”~”}
If ($myarray[5] -eq "") {$myarray[5]=”~”}
if ($myarray[0] -Match "\d{1,4}\.\d{1,3}"){
"go
Insert into #mytable Select convert(varchar(60),replace('OSFI Name: "+$myarray[1],$myarray[2],$myarray[3],$myarray[4],$myarray[5],"')), no_,branch,name,surname,midname,usual,bname2
from cust where cust.surname in ('"+$myarray[2].,"',"+$myarray[1],"',"+$myarray[3],"',"+$myarray[4],"',"+$myarray[5],"')' and ( name in ('"+$myarray[1],"','"+$myarray[2],"','"+$myarray[3],"','"+$myarray[4],"','"+$myarray[5],"') or
midname in ('"+$myarray[1],"','"+$myarray[2],"','"+$myarray[3],"','"+$myarray[4],"','"+$myarray[5],"') or
usualy in ('"+$myarray[1],"','"+$myarray[2],"','"+$myarray[3],"','"+$myarray[4],"','"+$myarray[5],"') or
bname2 in ('"+$myarray[1],"','"+$myarray[2],"','"+$myarray[3],"','"+$myarray[4],"','"+$myarray[5],"') )
" -join "," | foreach {$_.Trim()} | Out-File -filepath $target1 -append
}
#$writer.WriteLine($original);
#Write-Output $original;
#Write-Output $newlin
}
}
finally {
$reader.Close()
$writer.Close()
}
$end | Out-File -filepath $target1 -append
Every time it calls $myarray[1] or any other number it adds a space. This is not good as this will create a duplicate entry for every name it pulls in my DB.
We have an existing ".Java" script that does what I am trying to achieve so I know what my output should look like.
The output I should be getting looks like:
go
Insert into #mytable Select convert(varchar(60),replace('OSFI Name: Fake Name Faker unreal ','''''','''')), no_,branch,name,surname,midname,usual,bname2
from cust where cust.surname in ('Faker unreal','Fake Name','~','~','~') and ( name in ('Fake Name', 'Faker unreal', '~', '~', '~') or
midname in ('Fake Name', 'Faker unreal', '~', '~', '~') or
usual in ('Fake Name', 'Faker unreal', '~', '~', '~') or
bname2 in ('Fake Name', 'Faker unreal', '~', '~', '~') )
But instead I am getting
go
Insert into #mytable Select convert(varchar(60),replace('OSFI Name: Fake Name Fake Faker unreal ~ ~ ')), no_,branch,name,surname,midname,usual,bname2
from cust where cust.surname in ('Fake Name ',unreal ',~ ',~ ')' and ( name in ('Fake Name ','Fake Faker ','unreal ','~ ','~ ') or
midname in ('Fake Name ','Fake Faker ','unreal ','~ ','~ ') or
usualy in ('Fake Name ','Fake Faker ','unreal ','~ ','~ ') or
bname2 in ('Fake Name ','Fake Faker ','unreal ','~ ','~ ') )

Answer 1

The use of commas in your string building are contributing to this issue. I see that you are using a -join at the end of that string as well. This could explain why you were using commas as -join is an array operator. In essence you are muddying the waters in how you are building your string by combining that with basic string concatenation. A simple example that shows the issue (minor refactor of your code to accomplish the goal)
'"+$myarray[2].,"',"+$myarray[1],"',"+$myarray[3],"'
Fix those and your issue should go away (see section below about better approaches). That comma makes PowerShell take the next string as part of an array as supposed to a string concat. When arrays are flattened to strings in PowerShell the elements are space delimited. The issue is not a space in the array element but how you are building your string.
Compare these results to see what I mean
$myarray = 65..90 | %{[string]([char]$_) * 4}
"'"+$myarray[2],"'"
"'"+$myarray[2]+"'"
'CCCC '
'CCCC'
In the first output example the 2 element array $myarray[2],"'" is being added to the string "'". In the second the quote then the array element are being added to the string and then another quote. Pure string concatenation.
Consider better string building approaches
Know that there are other ways to do this as well. You can use subexpressions and the format operator if that helps.
"'$($myarray[2])','$($myarray[3])'"
"'{0}','{1}'" -f $myarray[2],$myarray[3]
SQL Injection Warning
You are manually building, with string concatenation, sql code. This means that an attacked could put something malicious in your input file and you could very well execute this. You need to be using command parameterization. Look up SQL injection as this is out of scope of the question.