I'm trying to pull values from an Excel list and add them to the corresponding SharePoint list using a PowerShell command. However, I'm running into an issue with the column named "Owner - Form or Job Aid". The internal name for this is "Owner_x0020__x002d__x0020_Form_x0020_or_x0020_Job_x0020_Aid". Every time I reference it in PowerShell, it shows up as "Owner_x0020__x002d__x005F Form_x0020_or_x0020_Job_x0020_Aid", which leads to an error stating that the column does not exist. I've been using a workaround to fix the column name but I'm curious if there's a clearer way to handle this situation. Anyone have ideas for better handling the Excel import or fixing the column naming?
3 Answers
Hey, I think you've got a solid workaround! Just be aware that hard-coding these names can lead to potential issues down the line if column names change. Maybe consider implementing a function that checks the column names dynamically? It would save you some hassle in the future!
Good idea! Dynamic checks could make your script a lot more versatile. Just keep the format consistency in mind!
This issue stems from how SharePoint internally formats column names when unsupported characters like spaces or dashes are involved. When a column name contains such characters, SharePoint changes them to a different representation. You can decode it like this:
```powershell
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Web
$spColNameInternal = "Owner_x0020__x002d__x0020_Form_x0020_or_x0020_Job_x0020_Aid"
$spColNameArr = $spColNameInternal -split "_(x[0-9A-F]+)_"
$spColNameArr = $spColNameArr | ForEach-Object {
if ($_ -like "x0*") {
"%u" + $_.Substring(1)
} elseif (-not [String]::IsNullOrEmpty($_)) {
$_
}
}
[System.Web.HttpUtility]::UrlDecode($spColNameArr -join "") # Output: Owner - Form or Job Aid
```
This will give you the correct original column name that should match what you have in your Excel sheet. It may help avoid further errors.
Adding to this, the `x005F` represents an underscore. Ensure your Excel data matches what's expected and consider checking for any mix-ups. The internal name you've mentioned has a space that makes it invalid, so checking the input data is crucial.
You can also use regex to replace the hex values with their corresponding characters, making your code cleaner. Here's an example:
```powershell
$result = $string -replace '__(x[0-9A-Fa-f]{4})', { [char]([Convert]::ToInt32($matches[1], 16)) }
```
It sounds like you might be dealing with either an XLSX or a CSV issue. The way PowerShell reads your Excel data can vary based on the file type. If your import code looks solid but the data formatting is off, double-check the source file for extra characters or formatting issues that could disrupt the import process.
I've observed that PowerShell sometimes reads special characters weirdly. If it's an XLSX file, ensure that no old or unsupported formatting is causing problems.
Exactly! If it's a CSV, you might find that characters get misrepresented when creating the file. Make sure the Excel sheet is correctly formatted before importing.
Yeah, I agree. I did that workaround as a quick fix, but I'll need to implement something more robust.