Powershell: Get object value to int array

Question

I'm fairly new to PowerShell

Can someone please explain the most simple way to copy values from an object into a basic integer array without also copying the original object.

Sorry if this is confusing, but what I mean is that I want to capture object values and put them in an integer array where I can then do simple arithmetic on the values

For example

$ComputerCpu = Get-WmiObject win32_processor -computer "MyComputer" | `
    Select-Object {$_.LoadPercentage}

On a Windows Server 2008 VM at work this returns two values

I want to get an average so I tried

$average = ($ComputerCpu[0] + $ComputerCpu[1]) / 2

This cannot work as the values are not of type Int.

I tried casting the values

$average = ([int]$ComputerCpu[0] + [int]$ComputerCpu[1]) / 2

But this results in a cannot convert error.

I know what the problem is but it would be great if someone could explain the fundamental solution to this as I run into this problem a lot and I know there must be a defined solution or a way to avoid this entirely.

Thanks.

PS: If possible please don't provide an alternative solution, as I really want to know how to get an objects values into an integer array so as to perform arithmetic on those values.

Thanks.

Answer 1

In addition to EBGreen's answer, you could use the -ExpandProperty parameter of Select-Object :

$ComputerCpu = Get-WmiObject win32_processor -computer "MyComputer" |
    Select-Object -ExpandProperty LoadPercentage

The rest of your code would work then.

Answer 2

Reference the property not the entire object. So:

$average = ($ComputerCpu[0].LoadPercentage + $ComputerCpu[1].LoadPercentage) / 2