NameValueCollection

[halr9000]

Looking back at the "hard way" examples that Carter provided earlier, I see a line like this:

$nvc = new-object System.Collections.Specialized.NameValueCollection

Now, I don't really know what these objects do that is so special, never used them before, but...Once I saw in the code how it is used, I'm left wondering why can't I use a native powershell hashtable? e.g.

$filter = @{ Name = "MyVirtualMachine" }

to be followed by "find-entityview -viewtype VirtualMachine -filter $filter" for example.

This seems like a really logical way to go, but again I admit I don't know crap about NVCs so maybe there's a reason something like this can't be done.

[halr9000]

Doesn't work.

83# $filter = @{ 'guest.guestState' = 'running'; 'guest.toolsStatus' = 'toolsOk' }
84# $filter

Name                           Value
----                           -----
guest.toolsStatus              toolsOk
guest.guestState               running


85# $vms = Find-EntityViews -ViewType VirtualMachine -Filter $filter
Find-EntityViews : Cannot bind parameter 'Filter'. Cannot convert "System.Collections.Hashtable" to "System.Collections.Specia
lized.NameValueCollection".
At line:1 char:57
+ $vms = Find-EntityViews -ViewType VirtualMachine -Filter <<<<  $filter

[halr9000]

Good news. VMware decided to create a new constructor for the underlying method so that it'll take hashtables.