Powershell Array Export not equal operator not working

Question

I have a .csv with a few hundred records that I need to dissect into several different files. There is a part of the code that takes an array of objects and filters the file based on the array. It works great for the part that finds things equal to whats in the array, but when I try to filter based on whats not contained in the array it ignores any version of a "not equal" operator I can find. I think it has something to do with the data type, but can't figure why it would make a difference when the equal operator works.

CSV File

"Number","Ticket","Title","Customer User","CustomerID","Accounted time","Billing"
"1","2014041710000096","Calendar issues","george.jetson","Widget, Inc","0.25","Labor",""
"2","2014041710000087","Redirected Folder permission","jane.smith","Mars Bars, Inc.","1","Labor",""
"3","2014041610000203","Completed with No Files Changed ""QB Data""","will.smith","Dr. Smith","0","Labor",""

PowerShell Code

$msaClients = @("Widget, Inc","Johns Company")
$billingList = import-csv "c:\billing\billed.csv"
$idZero = "0"

$msaArray = foreach ($msa in $msaClients) {$billingList | where-object {$_.CustomerID -eq $msa -and $_."Accounted time" -ne $idZero}}
$laborArray = foreach ($msa in $msaClients) {$billingList | where-object {$_.CustomerID -ne $msa -and $_."Accounted time" -ne $idZero}}

$msaArray | export-csv c:\billing\msa.csv -notypeinformation
$laborArray | export-csv c:\billing\labor.csv -notypeinformation

I have tried all the different logical operators for the not equal and it just seems to ignore that part. I have much more to the code if something doesn't seem right.

What am I missing, and Thanks in advance for any help!

Answer 1

If i understand this correct, you want the values in $msaArray, where $billingList contains customerIDs which are present in $msaClients but their corresponding Accounted time should not be eual to $idzero( 0 in this case)

PS C:\> $msaArray = ($billingList | where {(($msaclients -contains  $_.customerid)) -and ($_.'accounted time' -ne $idzero)})
PS C:\> $msaArray | ft -auto

Number Ticket           Title           Customer User CustomerID  Accounted time Billing
------ ------           -----           ------------- ----------  -------------- -------
1      2014041710000096 Calendar issues george.jetson Widget, Inc 0.25           Labor

And for $laborArray, where $billingList does not contain customerIDs which are present in $msaClients and their corresponding Accounted time should not be eual to $idzero as well( 0 in this case)

PS C:\> $laborArray = ($billingList | where {(!($msaclients -contains  $_.customerid)) -and ($_.'accounted time' -ne $idZero)})
PS C:\> $laborArray | ft -auto

Number Ticket           Title                        Customer User CustomerID      Accounted time Billing
------ ------           -----                        ------------- ----------      -------------- -------
2      2014041710000087 Redirected Folder permission jane.smith    Mars Bars, Inc. 1              Labor

Your -ne operator is working, but you are looping too many times in $msaclients to get $laborArray.i.e, when $msa = "Widget, Inc", you got "Mars Bars, Inc." as output, but foreach loop ran again and $msa value changed to "Johns Company" and in this case you got "Mars Bars, Inc." and "Widget, Inc" as output too. Hence you ended up with three outputs.