Powershell optimizing script wildcard/regex/code golfing

Question

I have the following powershell code I wrote that I am trying to optimize even further. I essentially need to get this code block down to under 259 characters. It's currently at 319, this is a challenge I know.

Using a mix of regex/wildcard matching/code golfing I think it is possible. But this is something I'm still learning.

This function will convert each character in the z file into its capslock and numlock value, then use send keys to in a very simplified way of explaining use the lights as a form of Morse code but in binary format instead.

I need this to run from the run box hence the character limit.

Why am I doing this? I'm passing data through the channel that controls the lock keys on the keyboard.

powershell "foreach($b in $(cat $env:tmp\z -En by)){foreach($a in 0x80,
0x40,0x20,0x10,0x08,0x04,0x02,0x01){if($b-band$a){$o+='%{NUMLOCK}'}else
{$o+='%{CAPSLOCK}'}}};$o+='%{SCROLLLOCK}';echo $o >$env:tmp\z;$f=(cat $env:tmp\z);Add-Type -A System.Windows.Forms;[System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait($f);rm $env:tmp\z"

I'm at work so I haven't gotten to test it yet but I think I got it down to 268 characters. And again it's needs to be at 259 or less.

powershell "$d='$env:tmp\z'%($b in $(cat  -En by)){%($a in 0x80,
0x40,0x20,0x10,0x08,0x04,0x02,0x01){if($b-band$a){$o+='%{NUMLOCK}'}else
{$o+='%{CAPSLOCK}'}}};$o+='%{SCROLLLOCK}';echo $o >$d;$o=(cat $d);Add-Type -A *m.W*s.F*s;[*m.W*s.F*s.SendKeys]::SendWait($o);rm $d"

You'll know your solution works if you have a file in the tmp folder called "z" with no extention, and after running your code the lights for your lock keys should look like a rave.

Answer 1

Just to post the entirety of the code in readable format, here's the result with Mclayton 's suggestion included:

# Gather the content from the file 
# The use of (...) around the variable assignment lets the value pass through evaluating it as an expression.
Get-Content ($d=".\desktop\Abe.txt") -Encoding byte | 
    ForEach-Object -Process {
        # Assign the current object in the pipeline to $b.
        # This will allow the use of another Foreach-Object (%) for shorter code.
        $b = $_;
        128,64,32,16,8,4,2,1 | 
            Foreach-Object -Process {
                # Append the results to $o as a concatenated string.
                # Given a hashtable with the wanted values, you can access the value by providing the name in []'s.
                # Since the bitwise operator -BAND only operates "properly" on two equal-length binary representations and if statement is needed.
                # The if statement will return values 1/0  in accordance with -BAND
                $o += "%{$(@{1="NUM";0="CAPS"}[$( if ($_-band$b) { 1 } else { 0 } )])LOCK}%{SCROLLLOCK}"
            }
    };
# Concatenate again to $o, while assigning to $f then outputting to $d.
($f = $o + "%{SCROLLLOCK}") | Out-File -FilePath $d;
Add-Type -AssemblyName 'System.Windows.Forms';
[System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait($f);
Remove-Item -Path $d

...and in shorter form:

gc ($d="$env:TEMP\z") -en by|%{$b=$_;128,64,32,16,8,4,2,1|%{$o+="%{$(@{1="NUM";0="CAPS"}[$(if($_-band$b){1}else{0})])LOCK}%{SCROLLLOCK}"}};($f=$o+"%{SCROLLLOCK}")>$d;Add-Type -A *m.W*s.F*s;[System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait($f);rm $d

I added comments in the code just for future readers trying to follow along.