PowerTip: Looking for Folders and Files in PowerShell

Doctor Scripto

Summary: Learn about looking for folders and files in Windows PowerShell.

 Why does this command show me folders instead of files?

Dir | Where PSIsContainer -eq False

 In Windows PowerShell, use the automatic variables $True and $False to refer to Boolean values
          instead of the string True and False. To perform the comparison, Windows PowerShell converts
          the object on the right into the same type as on the left, so the string False is evaluated as a Boolean True.

In this case, you are converting a string into a Boolean value, so if the string has characters in it, it will
become a True. Only an empty string becomes a False. This is why your sample code gives you folders
instead of files. Try it like this and you will be a lot happier with the results:

Dir | Where PSIsContainer -EQ $False

Doctor Scripto Scripter, PowerShell, vbScript, BAT, CMD

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