ProcessBatchData CAML Mass Delete SPListItems

Question

Attempting to bulk delete List Item using ProcessBatchData in a PowerShell script. Here is a command that my code is generating but I am getting an error when it executes. I have been unable to find the problem so I am hoping some CAML experts can shed some light as to what I am doing wrong.

$spWeb.ProcessBatchData("<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><Batch><Method><SetList Scope='Request'>b37425b3-189d-4031-97f6-15e4ca767185</SetList><SetVar Name='ID'>480</SetVar><SetVar Name='Cmd'>Delete</SetVar></Method></Batch>");

Here is the Error:

Exception calling "ProcessBatchData" with "1" argument(s): "<nativehr>0x80070057</nativehr><nativestack></nativestack>"
At line:1 char:24
+ $spWeb.ProcessBatchData <<<< ("<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><Batch><Method><SetList Scope='Request'>b37425b3-189d-4031-97f6-15e4ca767185</SetList><SetVar Name='ID'>480</SetVar><SetVar Name='Cmd'>Delete</SetVar></Method></Batch>");
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : DotNetMethodException

Answer 1

It ended up being sloppy escape characters in my XML. Powershell uses backtick character to excape characters and I was using single quotes and other techniques. After switching to proper escaping character my command worked. See blog post here for more.

Answer 2

Try using <ows:Batch>:

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<ows:Batch OnError='Return'>
  <Method>
    <SetList Scope='Request'>b37425b3-189d-4031-97f6-15e4ca767185</SetList>
    <SetVar Name='ID'>480</SetVar>
    <SetVar Name='Cmd'>Delete</SetVar>
  </Method>
</ows:Batch>

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><ows:Batch OnError='Return'><Method><SetList Scope='Request'>b37425b3-189d-4031-97f6-15e4ca767185</SetList><SetVar Name='ID'>480</SetVar><SetVar Name='Cmd'>Delete</SetVar></Method></ows:Batch>

From Deleting Items using ProcessBatchData method