SharePoint Online, get list of checked out files from lib using PnP

Question

I have a document lib that has been stale for a few years. I am trying to clean it up, but there are 1000+ document that are Checked Out to another user. I am a super admin, so I can go in and get take ownership / check these documents in individually. But that would take HOURS and there may be many more libraries that I need to sort through.

I see there is the Set-PnPFileCheckedIn command for PowerShell, which is good, but what I don't see is a command to take ownership of checked out files. Or a settings on the following commands that would allow me to loop through checked out items:

Find-PnPFile

Get-PnPListItem

Get-PnPFolerItem

Get-PnPFiel -asListItem

As of now the commands I listed above only return checkedin items, or items that are checked out under your user sessioned account.

Is it that I need to run a command as the user that has the documents checked out?

I know the ListItem fields have a field like CheckedOutTo but that does not help when you cannot get a list of said checkedout items to update who the document is currently checked out too.

Looking for a PnP command solution to this. If at all possible. I see some solutions using the older SPO commands, and if that is the only way than so be it, but I am tring to stick within the realm of PnP commands.

Thanks all in advance!

Answer 1

I was able to figure this out by using the $context.Load($thing); $context.ExecuteQuery()

# Setup the site context
[Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Web] $Connection = Get-PnPWeb
$context = $Connection.Context
[Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.List] $list = Get-PnPList $listName

# Load the list
$context.Load($list)
$context.ExecuteQuery()

# Load the checked out files
$chkdOutFiles = $list.GetCheckedOutFiles()
$context.Load($chkdOutFiles)
$context.ExecuteQuery()

foreach ($file in $chkdOutFiles) {
    # Do Actions...
}

Some thing I was noticing is that the Get-PnPxxx functions don't return all data and that in some instances you need to load the object like above. I thought this processes was more required by the older Get-SPOxxx functions, but I guess is also needed for PnP.

@Martin Muldoon got me on the right track to figuring this out. So thank you sir!

Answer 2

To loop through the check out items, couldn't you simply:

$lists = Get-PnPList -Web $web
foreach($list in $lists)
{
     $checkedOutItems = $list.GetCheckedOutFiles()
     foreach($file in $checkedOutItems)
     {
           #take action
     }
} 

UPDATE ------------------------

I was not iterating through the collection correctly. Try this:

 foreach($file in $list.checkedOutItems)
     {
           #take action
     }