Background-Job run Scripts without hardcoding them

Question

I am running a PowerShell GUI that calls different scripts. I'm currently using hardcoded paths such as:

function start-jobhere([scriptblock]$block) {
  Start-Job -ArgumentList (Get-Location),$block {
    Set-Location $args[0];
    Invoke-Expression $args[1]
  }
}

$handler_button1_Click = {
  $job1 = start-jobhere {& K:\Uploader\Import\DataUploader.ps1} -Name "Uploader"
}

I tried to avoid it using:

$LocalPath = ($MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path).ToLower().Replace("datauploader.ps1", "")

$handler_button1_Click = {
  $job1 = start-jobhere {& $LocalPath\DataUploader.ps1} -Name "Uploader"
}

But it doesn't seem to work. I have some scripts in the same folder and some are on a different harddrive. Is there a way to avoid the hardcoded paths?

Answer 1

You're passing a scriptblock to the function. The code inside the scriptblock doesn't know anything about variables in the rest of the script unless you make them known via the using scope modifier:

$job1 = start-jobhere {& "$using:LocalPath\DataUploader.ps1"} -Name "Uploader"

With that said, if you want to run scripts anyway, why aren't you passing their path as a string to your function?

function start-jobhere([string]$Name, [string]$Script) {
  Start-Job -Name $Name -ScriptBlock {
    Set-Location $args[0]
    & $args[1]
  } -ArgumentList (Get-Location), $Script
}

$handler_button1_Click = {
  $job1 = start-jobhere "$LocalPath\DataUploader.ps1" -Name "Uploader"
}