Hi, I'm hoping someone can help me here.

I am trying to use powershell to produce graphical reports but am constantly stumbling on every script that contains this particular line:


    $series = ([array] $chart.charts)[0].SeriesCollection.Add(0)

It doesnt matter what the script does, either simply collecting process utilisation from the local pc or obtaining management stats from our vmware environment, any script that uses that line causes the following error:


You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression. At C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\VIToolkitForWindows\Scripts\test.ps1:18 char:62 + $series = ([array] $chart.charts)[0].SeriesCollection.Add <<<< (0)


Here's hoping for something really silly/trivial that'll make all my scripts work properly!
Thanks in advance


$msWord = New-Object -Com Word.Application
 # Create new document
$wordDoc = $msWord.Documents.Add()
 # Make word visible (optional)
$msWord.Visible = $true
# Activate the new document
$wordDoc.Activate()
$Caption = "Simple Example"
$categories = @()
$values = @()
$chart = new-object -com OWC11.ChartSpace.11
$chart.Clear()
$c = $chart.charts.Add(0)
$c.Type = 4
$c.HasTitle = "True"
$c.HasLegend = "True"
$series = ([array] $chart.charts)[0].SeriesCollection.Add(0)
Get-Process | foreach-object { 
   $categories += $_.Name $values += $_.CPU * 1
    }
$series.Caption = $Caption
$series.SetData(1, -1, $categories)
$series.SetData(2, -1, $values)
$filename = (resolve-path .).Path + "\pie1.jpg"
$chart.ExportPicture($filename, "jpg", 800, 500)
$objSelection = $msWord.Selection
$msword.Selection.EndKey(6)
$objSelection.TypeParagraph()
$msWord.Application.Selection.InlineShapes.AddPicture($filename) > Null


Well the error means that you're trying to call a method on "nothing". e.g.

$null.method()

Same error. So what you need to do is to examine your code to see why the object in question is not being created or passed on to the right variable.

P.S. Sorry for the obvious text editor issues, we are working on that. In the meantime, could you try posting your script again? Another option would be to place the script on a pastebin like this one: http://posh.jaykul.com/p

Hi, here's one of the many scripts I've tried.
To be honest, I've downloaded so many examples from various websites that all contain the same...
   
   $series = ([array] $chart.charts)[0].SeriesCollection.Add(0)     

 ...line, that I was assuming that it wasnt really a script/code issue although I may be very wrong (I'm new to powershell, vbscript is more my cup of tea)

Hopefully, this script is a bit more readable...
Cheers.

$msWord = New-Object -Com Word.Application
# Create new document
$wordDoc = $msWord.Documents.Add()
# Make word visible (optional)
$msWord.Visible = $true
# Activate the new document
$wordDoc.Activate()

$Caption = "Simple Example"

    $categories = @()
    $values = @()
    $chart = new-object -com OWC11.ChartSpace.11
    $chart.Clear()
    $c = $chart.charts.Add(0)
    $c.Type = 58
      $c.HasTitle = "True"
    $c.HasLegend = "True"

   $series = ([array] $chart.charts)[0].SeriesCollection.Add(0)
        
    Get-Process | foreach-object {
    $categories += $_.Name
    $values += $_.CPU * 1   
    }
       
    $series.Caption = $Caption
    $series.SetData(1, -1, $categories)
    $series.SetData(2, -1, $values)
    $filename = (resolve-path .).Path + "\jim.jpg"
    $chart.ExportPicture($filename, "jpg", 800, 500)
   
    $objSelection = $msWord.Selection
    $msword.Selection.EndKey(6)
    $objSelection.TypeParagraph()
    $msWord.Application.Selection.InlineShapes.AddPicture($filename) > Null

Hmmm...that script ran fine for me. What error did you get?

I was getting this same error. From the advice on this thread, I went back and looked at my code. I was misspelling the object holding the method. $mangasession.getlist() should have been $mangsession.getlist()

Thanks for the help.

What about this?

function My-Custom-Function
{
Write-Host "Hello"
}

$psISE.CustomMenu.Submenus.Add("Run Custom Function",{My-Custom-Function},"Shift+Ctrl+f")

I'm new but I can't for the life of me figure out what I'm missing.

Abercrombie,
The newest version of PowerShell changes a bit for the custom menus. Here's the correct code:

function My-Custom-Function
{
Write-Host "Hello"
}

$psISE.CurrentPowerShellTab.AddonsMenu.Submenus.Add("Run Custom Function",{My-Custom-Function}, "Shift+Ctrl+f")

# Add SharePoint PowerShell Snapin
#Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell
# File and Drectory Location
$date = get-date -Format yyyyMMdd
$dirLocation = "\\server\share\Taxonomy\Terms\"
New-Item ($dirLocation + $date) -type directory | Out-Null
# Connect to Central Admininistration Site
$taxonomySite = Get-SPSite http://ussecavdspdwk27:2010/
# Connect to Term Store in the Managed Metadata Service Application
$taxonomySession = Get-SPTaxonomySession -site $taxonomySite
$termStore = $taxonomySession.TermStores["Managed Metadata Service (Enterprise)"]
# Connect to the Profiles Term Group
$termStoreGroup = $termStore.Groups["EY Terms"]
# Export Terms as .csv for each Term Set
foreach ($termSet in $termStoreGroup.TermSets.GetEnumerator())
{
$termSet.Terms | select Name, Owner, CreatedDate, LastModifiedDate | Export-Csv
($dirLocation + $date + "\Terms-" + $termStore.Groups["Profiles"].Name + "-" + $termSet.Name + ".csv")
} # Connect to the System Term Group
$termStoreGroup = $termStore.Groups["System"]
# Export Terms as .csv for each Term Set
foreach ($termSet in $termStoreGroup.TermSets.GetEnumerator())
{
$termSet.Terms | select Name, Owner, CreatedDate, LastModifiedDate | Export-Csv
($dirLocation + $date + "\Terms-" + $termStore.Groups["System"].Name + "-" + $termSet.Name + ".csv")
}

Vikky: Is there a problem?

Hi i need to create a bulk number of local users given in an xml file using powershell scripting ..The local users are like more than 250 to be crewated using powershell scripting with given xml file as source with all details like firsnt name,last name,job description..etc with 10 fields in it can you please help me out with some code thanks in advance ..

23 Jul 2010 11:32 AM Quote Reply Alert
Abercrombie,
The newest version of PowerShell changes a bit for the custom menus. Here's the correct code:

function My-Custom-Function
{
Write-Host "Hello"
}

==============================================

Thank you so much :) it worked with me

$psISE.CurrentPowerShellTab.AddonsMenu.Submenus.Add("Run Custom Function",{My-Custom-Function}, "Shift+Ctrl+f")

Morning all.
First post.
Go easy.

I'm also getting the "You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression" error on the following bit of script:

$Dir = get-childitem $SeqFolder\*.tps
$List = $Dir | foreach {rename-item $_ $_.name.toupper () | write-host $_}

It's the toupper that's the problem I think, but being a powershell numpty, I have no idea what's going on.
If it helps, it's doing something with a csv file.
And I'm confident that all my environment variables are correct as I've checked and double checked them.

Totally clueless.