Navcontainerhelper: Unexpected behavior in Export-NavContainerObjects

[TheDenSter]

So I wanted to get a full export of all objects into a single txt file and couldn't remember the syntax, so I tried this command:
Export-NavContainerObjects -containerName mysandbox -objectsFolder "C:\ProgramData\NavContainerHelper\" -exportTo "txt file"

This exports only modified objects, no big deal, but to my horror, the entire content of my NavContainerHelper folder was erased. An entire year of sample scripts and snippets gone, backups of workshop files, all my current containers (including test data). Recreating containers is a piece of cake (except of course the test data) but I'm very upset about losing a ton of reference material.

I'm not sure what the purpose is of me submitting this issue, because all my stuff's gone anyway, but I was not expecting an export command to completely clean up the target folder by default.

[eclipses24]

Hi,

If you read the documentation for this function is explained clearly which are the parameters, which are mandatory and also the behavior
https://github.com/Microsoft/navcontainerhelper/blob/master/ObjectHandling/Export-NavContainerObjects.ps1

So you should choose a better folder and also use the -filter parameter

[freddydk]

Sorry Daniel, I hope you have some backup somewhere of some of your work.
It doesn't help you, but I think I will add a check to make sure that you don't specify that exact folder (you are the second guy I know of who uses that folder)

[TheDenSter]

Thank you Sergio for telling me to RTFM, that's the most helpful suggestion I've had in years. Here's one for you: try a little empathy and kindness, the next one that makes a stupid mistake might be you

@freddydk I was going to suggest a test for only *.txt files, but a check for the NavContainerHelper folder would also be good. And no I don't have backups... despite years of evidence to the contrary, I'm a victim of my own hubris yet again...

[eclipses24]

Daniel I'm sorry that you lost files, it was not my intention to make you angry was just to point out that the function actually was working as designed. I always sayd "if I had 1 dollar for each mistake I did in my life now I would be rich"

[eclipses24]

Please accept my apologies both

[TheDenSter]

No need to apologize Sergio, the tone of our posts can come across completely different than we intend sometimes, that has happened to me SO many times :), and I appreciate you linking to that information. I'm mostly upset at myself because after this happened I did read the documentation and realized that this is the Cmdlet that New-NavContainer uses to export objects, and I realized I should have known all along. What you said was spot on, I had nobody but myself to blame.

[eclipses24]

Daniel, I'm sorry because English is not my mother tongue and this can lead to misunderstandings in communications. I'm a big man, but if I'm wrong I learned to always apologize

[freddydk]

Daniel, I have added an error as described.
Is there anything I can do to help you recreate your loss?
(I might have a lot of scripts lying around)

[TheDenSter]

Thanks for offering Freddy, but I don't think so. There are dupes of most of it, just have to find it again. It's scattered around though, it was so nice to have it all in one spot...

[freddydk]

Shipped in 0.5.0.5