Powershell: passing parameters to a job

Question

I have a script that requires a number of parameters: ``` param ([string]$FOO="foo",[string]$CFG='\ps\bcpCopyCfg.ps1', [string]$CFROM="none", ` [string]$CTO="none", [switch]$HELP=$FALSE, [switch]$FULL=$FALSE, [string]$CCOL="none" ` ,[string]$CDSQUERY="none", [string]$CMSSRV="none" ` ,[string]$CSYBDB="none", [string]$CMSDB="none") ``` when called from the command prompt e.g. powershell .\bcpCopy.ps1 -CFROM earn_n_deduct_actg -CTO fin_earn_n_deduct_actg -CCOL f_edeh_doc_id everything works fine. I need however to start several (dozens) instances of the script in parallel and I've written a wrapper script that calls the one doing the actual work as a job: I prepare an array with the arguments (including the keywords like "-CFG") anhd pass it to start-job: ``` # Prepare script block to be released $ARGS=("-CFG ", $CFG, "-CSYBDB ", $SYBDB, "-CMSDB ",$MSDB, "-CFROM ", $SYBTBL, "-CTO ",$MSTBL) if ($FULL) { $ARGS = $ARGS + " -FULL" } else { $ARGS = $ARGS + " -CCOL $($args[5]) " } "Argument ar…

Accepted Answer

I'm not sure what exactly you're trying to do, but this looks wrong:

```
start-job  -scriptblock {
    powershell.exe -file '\ps\bcpCopy.ps1'} -ArgumentList $ARGS
```

You are creating an entirely new powershell process needlessly. Try this instead:

```
start-job  -scriptblock {
    & 'c:\ps\bcpCopy.ps1' @args } -ArgumentList $ARGS
```

The "@args" syntax is called "splatting." This will expand the passed arguments and ensure each element is treated as a parameter. The ampersand (&) is the "call" operator.

Powershell: passing parameters to a job

Solution

Problem