How can I update the value for a XML node using PowerShell? [duplicate]

Question

How can I change the value of the node <Test>Test</Test> to <Test>Power</Test>?

Example:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
    <appSettings>
        <add key="DeploymentDate" value="test" />
        <add key="DateOfInitialization" value="Vinoj" />
    </appSettings>
    <Test>Test</Test>
</configuration>

Here's the PowerShell script I currently use:

$configuration = "app.config"
[xml]$xml = New-Object XML
$xml.Load($configuration)
$xml.selectnodes("/configuration/Test") = {"UST"}
$xml.Save($configuration)

There's a box above the question title saying "This question already has answers here..." but it links to a question that was posed in 2013. This one was asked in 2010 and already had answers that year as you can see. So... that box should be removed — R.D. Alkire
– R.D. Alkire, Commented Jul 12, 2023 at 17:51

stej · Accepted Answer · 2010-07-08 14:17:31Z

36

I don't know what exactly you want to achieve, but the example should give you and idea:

$file = 'c:\temp\aa\ServerService.exe.config'
$x = [xml] (Get-Content $file)
Select-Xml -xml $x  -XPath //root/level |
    % { $_.Node.'#text' = 'test'
        $_.Node.SomeAttribute = 'value'
      }
$x.Save($file)

You don't need to use .NET for xpath queries. Just stay with PowerShell (with Select-Xml).
It is also common to load xml file via Get-Content and cast it to [xml] which creates XmlDocument and loads the file content.

answered Jul 8, 2010 at 14:17

stej

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4 Comments

Rahul Soni Over a year ago

Worked like a charm. Can you please tell me what | % does in general?

stej Over a year ago

It means foreach-object. You can find it with Get-Alias -Name %

Piotr Kula Over a year ago

you can also access the test value $xml.configuration.test - Pretty slick (given its not a collection) but then you can use foreach ($thing in $xml.things) { $thing.value } . I am here cause I need to save my XML file after incrementing version. And this helped me. +1

new2tech Over a year ago

also, you asked about the pipe |. That gets the output from the previous command and feeds it into the next command, which in this case is a where-object loop using what was found from Select-Xml -xml $x -XPath //root/level. So every object passes through, but the % helps filter what you're looking for.

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