powershell - Filtering files by partial name match -

i have network share 20.000 xml files in format

username-computername.xml

there duplicate entries in form of (when user received new comptuer)

user1-computer1.xml
user1-computer2.xml

or

blrppr-skb52084.xml
blrsia-skb50871.xml
s028ds-skb51334.xml
s028ds-skb52424.xml
s02fl6-skb51644.xml
s02fl6-skb52197.xml
s02vud-skb52083.xml

since im going manipulate xmls later can't dismiss properties of array @ least need full path. aim is, if duplicate found, 1 newer timestamp being used.

here snipet of code need logic

$xmlfiles = get-childitem "network share" 

here i'm doing foreach loop:

foreach ($xmlfile in $xmlfiles) {   [xml]$xmlcontent = get-content -path $xmlfile.fullname -encoding utf8   select-xml -xml $xmlcontent -xpath "  "   # create [pscustomobject] etc... } 

essentially need is

if ($xmlfiles.name.split("-")[0]) - duplicate) {   # select 1 higher $xmlfiles.lastwritetime , store either   # full object or $xmlfiles.fullname } 

ideally should part of foreach loop not have loop through twice.

you can use group-object group files custom attribute:

$xmlfiles | group-object { $_.name.split('-')[0] } 

the above statement produce result this:

count name    group ----- ----    -----     1 blrppr  {blrppr-skb52084.xml}     1 blrsia  {blrsia-skb50871.xml}     2 s028ds  {s028ds-skb51334.xml, s028ds-skb52424.xml}     2 s02fl6  {s02fl6-skb51644.xml, s02fl6-skb52197.xml}     1 s02vud  {s02vud-skb52083.xml}

where group property contains original fileinfo objects.

expand groups in foreach-object loop, sort each group lastwritetime, , select recent file it:

... | foreach-object {   $_.group | sort-object lastwritetime -desc | select-object -first 1 }