SharePoint Online CSOM PowerShell Script to create folders and add permissions

Question

I am rather new to this place but quite few previous posts helped me out a great deal while creating some PowerShell scripts. I have been trying to create a script that will create a couple of folders into my document library in my SharePoint Online site. I managed to make it create the folders and break the role inheritance with existing permissions wiped after creation. Although I am struggling to make it add the permissions as I end up receiving an error.

The error is as follows:

format-default : The collection has not been initialized. It has not been requested or the request has not been executed. It may need to be explicitly requested. + CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [format-default], CollectionNotInitializedException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.CollectionNotInitializedException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.FormatDefau ltCommand

I have read a couple of other posts saying that this error means that the specific collections are not loaded but as far as I can see I have loaded in everything I can to the $ClientContext. Any help finding this collection not initialized is greatly appreciated! Find the code below.

### Get the user credentials
$credential=Get-Credential
$username=$credential.UserName
$password=$credential.GetNetworkCredential().Password
$securePassword = ConvertTo-SecureString $password -AsPlainText -Force

### Input Parameters
$url = 'https://aareSharePoint.sharepoint.com/sites/muhsite/'
$usrName = 'Aare Test'
$email = '[email protected]'

### References
# Specified the paths where the dll's are located.
Add-Type -Path 'c:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\15\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.dll'
Add-Type -Path 'c:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\15\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Runtime.dll'


### CreateFolder Function
function CreateFolder()
{
    # Connect to SharePoint Online and get ClientContext object.
    $clientContext = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientContext($url)
    $credentials = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.SharePointOnlineCredentials($username, $securePassword)
    $clientContext.Credentials = $credentials

    # Get the SharePoint web
    $web=$clientContext.Web;
    $clientContext.Load($web)
    $clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

    # Adds the folder that is located at the specified URL to the collection
    $folder1=$web.Folders.Add('Library1/'+$usrName)
    $folder2=$web.Folders.Add('Library2/'+$usrName)
    $clientContext.Load($folder1)
    $clientContext.Load($folder2)
    $clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

    #Get the role required and load it 
    $role = $web.RoleDefinitions.GetByName('Edit')
    $usrRole = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.RoleDefinitionBindingCollection($clientContext)
    $usrRole.Add($role)
    $clientContext.Load($role)
    $clientContext.Load($usrRole)

    #Get the user from the $web
    $usr = $Web.EnsureUser('i:0#.f|membership|'+$email)
    Write-Host $usrRole.Description
    $clientContext.Load($usr)
    $clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

    # Display the folder name and URL
    Write-Host -ForegroundColor Green 'Folder Name: ' $folder1.Name ' URL: '$folder1.ServerRelativeUrl;
    Write-Host -ForegroundColor Green 'Folder Name: ' $folder2.Name ' URL: '$folder2.ServerRelativeUrl;

    #Break inheritance and remove existing permissions
    $folder1.ListItemAllFields.BreakRoleInheritance($false, $true)
    $folder2.ListItemAllFields.BreakRoleInheritance($false, $true)

    #Add permissions to the folders
    $folder1.ListItemAllFields.RoleAssignments.Add($usr,$usrRole)
    $folder2.ListItemAllFields.RoleAssignments.Add($usr,$usrRole)
    $clientContext.Load($folder1)
    $clientContext.Load($folder2)
    $clientContext.ExecuteQuery()


}
#Execute the function
CreateFolder

Answer 1

I tested your script and found the problem. The answer is here https://stackoverflow.com/questions/35225511/sharepoint-csom-copy-roleassignment

your last lines should be:

# Apply the permission roles to the list.
$clientContext.Load($folder1.ListItemAllFields.RoleAssignments.Add($usr, $usrRole))
$clientContext.Load($folder2.ListItemAllFields.RoleAssignments.Add($usr, $usrRole))
$folder1.Update()
$folder2.Update()
$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

Answer 2

I have also now fixed the error which the script had that was unrelated to the question and this script should now work as intended.

### Get the user credentials
$credential = Get-Credential
$username = $credential.UserName
$password = $credential.GetNetworkCredential().Password
$securePassword = ConvertTo-SecureString $password -AsPlainText -Force

### Input Parameters
$url = 'https://aareSharePoint.sharepoint.com/sites/muhsite/'
$usrName = 'Aare Test'
$email = '[email protected]'

### References
# Specified the paths where the dll's are located.
Add-Type -Path 'c:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\15\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.dll'
Add-Type -Path 'c:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\15\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Runtime.dll'


### CreateFolder Function
function CreateFolder()
{

    # Connect to SharePoint Online and get ClientContext object.
    $clientContext = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientContext($url)
    $credentials = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.SharePointOnlineCredentials($username, $securePassword)
    $clientContext.Credentials = $credentials

    Function GetRole
    {
        [CmdletBinding()]
        param
        (
            [Parameter(Mandatory = $true, Position = 1)]
            [Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.RoleType]$rType
        )

        $web = $clientContext.Web
        if ($web -ne $null)
        {
            $roleDefs = $web.RoleDefinitions
            $clientContext.Load($roleDefs)
            $clientContext.ExecuteQuery()
            $roleDef = $roleDefs | Where-Object { $_.RoleTypeKind -eq $rType }
            return $roleDef
        }
        return $null
    }

    # Get the SharePoint web
    $web = $clientContext.Web;
    $usrRDBC = $null
    # Adds the folder that is located at the specified URL to the collection
    $folder1 = $web.Folders.Add('Library1/' + $usrName)
    $folder2 = $web.Folders.Add('Library2/' + $usrName)
    $clientContext.Load($folder1)
    $clientContext.Load($folder2)
    $clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

    #Get the role required and load it 
    Write-Host $roleType
    $roleTypeObject = [Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.RoleType]$roleType
    $roleObj = GetRole $roleTypeObject
    $usrRDBC = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.RoleDefinitionBindingCollection($clientContext)
    $usrRDBC.Add($roleObj)
    #Get the user from the $web
    $usr = $Web.EnsureUser('i:0#.f|membership|' + $email)
    Write-Host $usrRDBC.Description

    #Break inheritance and remove existing permissions
    $folder1.ListItemAllFields.BreakRoleInheritance($false, $true)
    $folder2.ListItemAllFields.BreakRoleInheritance($false, $true)

    # Apply the permission roles to the list.
    $clientContext.Load($folder1.ListItemAllFields.RoleAssignments.Add($usr, $usrRDBC))
    $clientContext.Load($folder2.ListItemAllFields.RoleAssignments.Add($usr, $usrRDBC))
    $folder1.Update()
    $folder2.Update()
    $clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

    # Display the folder name and URL
    Write-Host -ForegroundColor Green 'Folder Name: ' $folder1.Name ' URL: '$folder1.ServerRelativeUrl;
    Write-Host -ForegroundColor Green 'Folder Name: ' $folder2.Name ' URL: '$folder2.ServerRelativeUrl;

}
#Execute the function
CreateFolder