Copy PowerShell dictionary into a variable

Question

I'm trying to clone a dictionary into a variable called $backUp using .clone() method, but it is failing with the error:

Method invocation failed because [System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2[[System.String, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089],[System.String, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089]]] does not contain a method named 'Clone'. At line:10 char:1 + $backUp = $originalKeyValuePairs.Clone() + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : MethodNotFound

$originalKeyValuePairs = New-Object "System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary``2[System.String,System.String]"
$originalKeyValuePairs.add("key1", "value1")
$originalKeyValuePairs.add("key2", "value2")
$originalKeyValuePairs.add("key3", "value3")
$originalKeyValuePairs.add("key4", "value4")

Write-Output "This is the original dictionary" $originalKeyValuePairs

#Copy the "originalKeyValuePairs" into a variable
$backUp = $originalKeyValuePairs.Clone()

#update the 'key2' value to something else:
$originalKeyValuePairs["key2"] = "tempvalue"

#Now I'm done with updating the values. Now I want to restore my "$backUp" into the $originalKeyValuePairs
$originalKeyValuePairs = $backUp.clone()

Write-Output "Done with updating some of the value in original keyValuePairs and restore 'backUp' dictionary into 'originalKeyValuePairs'. Here is the unmodified dictionary" $originalKeyValuePairs

Nick Nick · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-28T16:32:36

You'll want to deep copy it instead of clone it. Check out this link

$originalKeyValuePairs = New-Object "System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary``2[System.String,System.String]"
$originalKeyValuePairs.add("key1", "value1")
$originalKeyValuePairs.add("key2", "value2")
$originalKeyValuePairs.add("key3", "value3")
$originalKeyValuePairs.add("key4", "value4")

Write-Output "This is the original dictionary" $originalKeyValuePairs

#Copy the "originalKeyValuePairs" into a variable
$ms = New-Object System.IO.MemoryStream
$bf = New-Object System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter
$bf.Serialize($ms, $originalkeyvaluepairs)
$ms.Position = 0
$backup = $bf.Deserialize($ms)
$ms.Close()

#update the 'key2' value to something else:
$originalKeyValuePairs["key2"] = "tempvalue"

#Now I'm done with updating the values. Now I want to restore my "$backUp" into the $originalKeyValuePairs
$ms = New-Object System.IO.MemoryStream
$bf = New-Object System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter
$bf.Serialize($ms, $backup)
$ms.Position = 0
$originalkeyvaluepairs = $bf.Deserialize($ms)
$ms.Close()

Write-Output "Done with updating some of the value in original keyValuePairs and restore 'backUp' dictionary into 'originalKeyValuePairs'. Here is the unmodified dictionary" $originalKeyValuePairs

Copy PowerShell dictionary into a variable

1 Answers