Passing C# Parameter to Powershell Script - Cannot validate argument on parameter 'Identity'

Question

I am trying to write a Windows Form App in C# that outputs AD Attributes for a specified user. The way I want it to work is that the user inputs a value (username) into a text box, which is passed as a parameter to the Powershell script and the output is displayed in the form.

My C# code for creating the parameter and invoking the script is as follows:

private string RunScript(string scriptText)
    {
        // create Powershell runspace 
        Runspace runspace = RunspaceFactory.CreateRunspace();

        // open it 
        runspace.Open();

        RunspaceInvoke scriptInvoker = new RunspaceInvoke(runspace);

        // create a pipeline and feed it the script text 
        Pipeline pipeline = runspace.CreatePipeline();
        pipeline.Commands.AddScript(scriptText);
        pipeline.Commands.Add(new Command("Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope Process", true));

        // "Get-Process" returns a collection of System.Diagnostics.Process instances. 
        pipeline.Commands.Add("Out-String");

        //Create parameter and pass value to script
        String username = textBox3.Text;
        String scriptfile = @"c:\\scripts\\getpasswordexpirydate.ps1";
        Command myCommand = new Command(scriptfile, false);
        CommandParameter testParam = new CommandParameter("username", username);
        myCommand.Parameters.Add(testParam);

        pipeline.Commands.Add(myCommand);
        // execute the script
        Collection<PSObject> results = pipeline.Invoke();

        // close the runspace 
        runspace.Close();

        // convert the script result into a single string 
        StringBuilder stringBuilder = new StringBuilder();
        foreach (PSObject obj in results)
        {
            stringBuilder.AppendLine(obj.ToString());
        }

        // return the results of the script that has 
        // now been converted to text 
        return stringBuilder.ToString();
    }

My PowerShell script is as follows:

param([string]$username)

function Get-XADUserPasswordExpirationDate() {

Param ([Parameter(Mandatory=$true,  Position=0,  ValueFromPipeline=$true, HelpMessage="Identity of the Account")]

[Object] $accountIdentity)

PROCESS {

    $accountObj = Get-ADUser $accountIdentity -properties PasswordExpired, PasswordNeverExpires, PasswordLastSet

    if ($accountObj.PasswordExpired) {

        echo ("Password of account: " + $accountObj.Name + " already expired!")

    } else { 

        if ($accountObj.PasswordNeverExpires) {

            echo ("Password of account: " + $accountObj.Name + " is set to never expires!")

        } else {

            $passwordSetDate = $accountObj.PasswordLastSet

            if ($passwordSetDate -eq $null) {

                echo ("Password of account: " + $accountObj.Name + " has never been set!")

            }  else {

                $maxPasswordAgeTimeSpan = $null

                $dfl = (get-addomain).DomainMode

                if ($dfl -ge 3) { 

                    ## Greater than Windows2008 domain functional level

                    $accountFGPP = Get-ADUserResultantPasswordPolicy $accountObj

                    if ($accountFGPP -ne $null) {

                        $maxPasswordAgeTimeSpan = $accountFGPP.MaxPasswordAge

                    } else {

                        $maxPasswordAgeTimeSpan = (Get-ADDefaultDomainPasswordPolicy).MaxPasswordAge

                    }

                } else {

                    $maxPasswordAgeTimeSpan = (Get-ADDefaultDomainPasswordPolicy).MaxPasswordAge

                }

                if ($maxPasswordAgeTimeSpan -eq $null -or $maxPasswordAgeTimeSpan.TotalMilliseconds -eq 0) {

                    echo ("MaxPasswordAge is not set for the domain or is set to zero!")

                } else {

                    echo ("Password of account: " + $accountObj.Name + " expires on: " + ($passwordSetDate + $maxPasswordAgeTimeSpan))

                }

            }

        }

    }

}

}
Get-XADUserPasswordExpirationDate $username

Get-ADUser $username -Properties * | Select-Object DisplayName,LockedOut,LastLogonDate,kPMG-User-GOAccountType,kPMG-User-GOCompanyGroup,kPMG-User-GOFunction,kPMG-User-GOGrade,kPMG-User-GOManagementLevel,kPMG-User-GOMemberFirmGroup,kPMG-User-GPID,kPMG-User-GOMailDisclaimer,kPMG-User-GOMailSync

If I run the script in PowerShell eg .\\script.ps1 jsmith with 'jsmith' as the parameter it works, however when using the C# parameter it does not accept the parameter and spits out a "Cannot validate argument on parameter 'Identity'" error every time.

Is there something I have done wrong in my C# code that is causing this parameter to not pass to the script and accept it as input?

Thanks

Answer 1

A few thoughts:

• The parameter name in the C# code is username
• The parameter name in the script is accountIdentity
• The error message references parameter Identity

I would think all 3 should be the same.

If that's not the problem then a possible way to debug the problem is to turn your C# code into a PS script. For me, at least, I'd feel more comfortable debugging a PS script where I can rapidly change things (like where you build myCommand) and inspect them (with get-member and select-object *) than you might with C#.

Also for debugging you might also try combining all the individual PS commands so that you end with a single invocation of AddScript(), instead of various AddCommand()s along with the AddScript(). I vaguely remember problems with mixing the two when I wrote somewhat similar code many years ago.