Automating SharePoint uploading

Question

Issue Summary

• Working at a client site
• They want weekly status reports uploaded to SharePoint.
• I have Win10, PowerShell and URL of the SP directory

Question

Do you know a way to automate the uploading process?

What I want to do is fill in my status report and save it as I accomplish tasks.

Every Monday I would start a new document in a specific directory, like this: mystatus_010118.doc, etc.

I want Windows scheduler to scan that dir and upload the report to the correct URL every Friday afternoon without my intervention.

I can do simple things in PS.

I assume PS is the best approach.

Can you help me code a solution?

Answer 1

Below script will upload files from local to SharePoint. Get the powershell scheduled in task scheduler.

    if((Get-PSSnapin "Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell") -eq $null)
    {
         Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell
    }

    Function UploadFiles($web,$path,$docLibrary)
    {
        $files = Get-ChildItem $path
        foreach ($file in $files) 
        {  

           if($file.GetType().Name -eq "DirectoryInfo") 
           {
                #Item Is Folder
                UploadFiles $web $file.FullName $docLibrary
           }
           else
           {
                #Item is File
                $fileStream = ([System.IO.FileInfo] (Get-Item $file.FullName)).OpenRead()

                #Add file
                $folder =  $web.getfolder($docLibraryUrlName)

                write-host "Copying file " $file.Name " to " $folder.ServerRelativeUrl "..."
                $spFile = $folder.Files.Add($folder.Url + "/" + $file.Name, [System.IO.Stream]$fileStream, $true)
                write-host "Success"

                #Close file stream
                $fileStream.Close();
           }

        }
    }
    $webUrl = "WEBSITE URL"
    $docLibraryName = "Documents"
    $docLibraryUrlName = "Shared%20Documents"
    $localFolderPath = "D:\FolderWhichContainsAllFiles\"
    $web = Get-SPWeb $webUrl
    $docLibrary = $web.Lists[$docLibraryName]
    UploadFiles $web $localFolderPath $docLibrary
    $web.Dispose()

Answer 2

This would be another way to upload the files with PowerShell to SharePoint. It uses the System.Net.WebClient to authenticate and upload the files. It works only on document libraries but you don't need admin access to the SP-Server (it uses your windows account user name).

$uploadUrl = "URLOFTHESPDIRECTORY"

# Stores the password in the environment as secured string
if(!$env:securePassword) {
  $securePassword = Read-Host "password" -AsSecureString
  $env:securePassword = ConvertFrom-SecureString $securePassword
}

$securePassword = ConvertTo-SecureString -String $env:securePassword
$credentials = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential($env:username, $securePassword)

$webclient = New-Object System.Net.WebClient
$webclient.Credentials = $credentials

# Uploads all the files in this folder
$files = Get-ChildItem "UPLOADPATH"
foreach($file in $files) {
  Write-Host Upload file $file.Name to SP directory -ForegroundColor Green
  $webclient.UploadFile($uploadUrl + "/" + $file.Name, "PUT", $file.FullName)
} 

If you want to automate this script you need to verify that the password is stored in the environmental parameters permamently or you store the password in a file (check: https://www.pdq.com/blog/secure-password-with-powershell-encrypting-credentials-part-1/ ).

To automate it, you use the task scheduler in windows: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/heyscriptingguy/2012/08/11/weekend-scripter-use-the-windows-task-scheduler-to-run-a-windows-powershell-script/