ConvertFrom StringData - PowerShell

Overview

The ConvertFrom-StringData command converts a string containing serialized data into its original object representation. It reconstructs objects that were previously converted to strings using the ConvertTo-StringData cmdlet, allowing you to restore data that was stored or transmitted in string form.

Syntax

ConvertFrom-StringData [-InputObject] <string> [[-Type] <Type>] [-DeserializationBinder <DeserializationBinder>] [-Version <Version>]

Parameters

  • InputObject: The string containing the serialized data.
  • Type (optional): The type of the object to deserialize. If not specified, the TypeName property in the serialized data is used to determine the type.
  • DeserializationBinder (optional): A custom SerializationBinder to use for resolving type names during deserialization.
  • Version (optional): The version of the .NET Framework that was used to serialize the data.

Options/Flags

None.

Examples

Simple Example: Convert a String to an Object

$serializedData = 'System.String,mscorlib,Version=4.0.0.0,Culture=neutral,PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089:Hello World'
$deserializedObject = ConvertFrom-StringData -InputObject $serializedData
$deserializedObject

Output:

Hello World

Advanced Example: Convert a String to an Object Using Custom Deserialization Binder

using System;
using System.Runtime.Serialization;

[Serializable]
public class CustomType
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
}

$serializedData = 'CustomType,MyAssembly,Version=1.0.0.0,Culture=neutral,PublicKeyToken=null:{"Name":"John Doe"}'

$deserializationBinder = New-Object -TypeName System.Runtime.Serialization.SerializationBinder -ArgumentList @{BindToType = {$Type.FullName -match $args[0]}}, @{Binder = {return [CustomType]::new()}}

$deserializedObject = ConvertFrom-StringData -InputObject $serializedData -DeserializationBinder $deserializationBinder
$deserializedObject.Name

Output:

John Doe

Common Issues

Cannot Deserialize Data

The data may be corrupted or not serialized correctly. Verify the serialization format and ensure that the original type is available for deserialization.

Type Not Found

If you are not specifying a type, ensure that the serialized data contains the TypeName property. If the type is not found, try using a custom DeserializationBinder to resolve the type name.

Integration

ConvertFrom-StringData can be used with other PowerShell commands to process and manipulate objects that were stored in string form. For example, you can use it with Get-Content to read data from a file:

$serializedData = Get-Content "data.bin"
ConvertFrom-StringData -InputObject $serializedData
  • ConvertTo-StringData: Converts objects to strings for storage or transmission.
  • Export-Clixml: Serializes objects to XML.
  • Import-Clixml: Deserializes objects from XML.