Passing a Monad (powershell) variable as command parameter

I'm trying to accomplish something that I thought would be very simple.
I guess I'm just missing something but here goes.

I want to simply call an executable from within my Monad script and
send that executable a parameter in the form of a variable set earlier
in the script. More specifically, I'm trying to call the command line
version of WINRAR and give it a date so it will zip anything older than
that date.

If I type either of these commands into powershell, it works as
expected:

.. 'C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rar.exe' a -tb20060504 -m5 ziplogs.zip
or
& 'C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rar.exe' a -tb20060504 -m5 ziplogs.zip

What I want to do is use a $variable to replace the 20060504. I first
verify that my variable resolves to 20060504 So I try:

& 'C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rar.exe' a -tb$variable -m5 ziplogs.zip
or
.. 'C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rar.exe' a -tb$variable -m5 ziplogs.zip

I don't get any errors, but with both of those commands winrar zips
everything and ignores the date variable. What is the proper syntax to
pass a variable as a parameter to an external command?

Excellent! Thank you very much!

/\/\o\/\/ wrote:
> crosby.tim.DeleteThis@gmail.com wrote:
> > I'm trying to accomplish something that I thought would be very simple.
> > I guess I'm just missing something but here goes.
> >
> > I want to simply call an executable from within my Monad script and
> > send that executable a parameter in the form of a variable set earlier
> > in the script. More specifically, I'm trying to call the command line
> > version of WINRAR and give it a date so it will zip anything older than
> > that date.
> >
> > If I type either of these commands into powershell, it works as
> > expected:
> >
> > .. 'C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rar.exe' a -tb20060504 -m5 ziplogs.zip
> > or
> > & 'C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rar.exe' a -tb20060504 -m5 ziplogs.zip
> >
> > What I want to do is use a $variable to replace the 20060504. I first
> > verify that my variable resolves to 20060504 So I try:
> >
> > & 'C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rar.exe' a -tb$variable -m5 ziplogs.zip
> > or
> > .. 'C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rar.exe' a -tb$variable -m5 ziplogs.zip
> >
> > I don't get any errors, but with both of those commands winrar zips
> > everything and ignores the date variable. What is the proper syntax to
> > pass a variable as a parameter to an external command?
> >
>
> you need to use quotes around the parameter as winrar wants them
> connected (no space) and powershell thinks the $ is part of the parameter.
>
> . 'C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rar.exe' a "-tb$variable" -m5 ziplogs.zip
>
> see this resolving :
>
> MowPS>echo 'C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rar.exe' a -tb$variable -m5 ziplogs.zip
> C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rar.exe
> a
> -tb$variable
> -m5
> ziplogs.zip
>
> MowPS>echo 'C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rar.exe' a "-tb$variable" -m5
> ziplogs.zip
> C:\Program Files\WinRAR\rar.exe
> a
> -tb20060504
> -m5
> ziplogs.zip
>
> greetings /\/\o\/\/