ParameterBindingException when pipelining an Outlook.Folder object to custom cmdlet

Question

Hello all-
I've written a simple C# powershell cmdlet (Get-Store) that returns an Outlook Object Model Store object. Another cmdlet I've written reads the above Store object from the pipeline and creates an email folder (Get-Folder)
I get a ParameterBindingException when piping the returned store object from Get-Store to Get-Folder.
If I create the store object manually on the PS command line, via new-object, then pipe it to Get-Folder, it works.
It appears the errant store object is a __comObject type, while the store object that works is a Outlook.StoreClass type. Does anyone know how I can make this work?
Here's a transcript of the PS session:
PS c:\ps\mapi\bin\x64\Debug> import-module .\mapi.dll
PS C:\ps\mapi\bin\x64\Debug> $app = new-object -com Outlook.Application
PS C:\ps\mapi\bin\x64\Debug> $stores = $app.Session.stores
PS C:\ps\mapi\bin\x64\Debug> $storeOK = $stores[1]
PS C:\ps\mapi\bin\x64\Debug> $storeOK.GetType()
IsPublic IsSerial Name                                    
BaseType
True     False    StoreClass                              
System.__ComObject
PS C:\ps\mapi\bin\x64\Debug> $storeOK | Get-Folder -path inbox\works -CreateIfNotExist
Application            : Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.ApplicationClass
Class                  : 2
Session                : Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.NameSpaceClass
Parent                 : System.__ComObject
DefaultItemType        : 0
DefaultMessageClass    : IPM.Note
Description            :
EntryID                : 0000000029542A42175B114D983D2C3446907A490100B870629719727B4BA82A6C06A31C2912004C5FB6DB8F0000
Folders                : System.__ComObject
Items                  : System.__ComObject
Name                   : works
StoreID                : 0000000038A1BB1005E5101AA1BB08002B2A56C20000454D534D44422E444C4C00000000000000001B55FA20AA6611
                         CD9BC800AA002FC45A0C00000048514D41494C5356523031002F6F3D4964656E746943727970742F6F753D45786368
                         616E67652041646D696E6973747261746976652047726F7570202846594449424F484632335350444C54292F636E3D
                         526563697069656E74732F636E3D6C657300
UnReadItemCount        : 0
UserPermissions        : System.__ComObject
WebViewOn              : False
WebViewURL             :
WebViewAllowNavigation : True
AddressBookName        :
ShowAsOutlookAB        : False
FolderPath             :
\\[email protected]\Inbox\works
InAppFolderSyncObject  : False
CurrentView            : System.__ComObject
CustomViewsOnly        : False
Views                  : System.__ComObject
MAPIOBJECT             : System.__ComObject
FullFolderPath         :
\\[email protected]\Inbox\works
IsSharePointFolder     : False
ShowItemCount          : 1
Store                  : System.__ComObject
PropertyAccessor       : System.__ComObject
UserDefinedProperties  : System.__ComObject
PS C:\ps\mapi\bin\x64\Debug> $storeNotOK = Get-Store -StoreName
[email protected]
PS C:\ps\mapi\bin\x64\Debug> $storeNotOK.GetType()
IsPublic IsSerial Name                                    
BaseType
True     False    __ComObject                             
System.MarshalByRefObject
PS C:\ps\mapi\bin\x64\Debug> $storeNotOK | Get-Folder -path inbox\DoesntWork -CreateIfNotExist
Get-Folder : The input object cannot be bound to any parameters for the command either because the command does not
take pipeline input or the input and its properties do not match any of the parameters that take pipeline input.
At line:1 char:15
+ $storeNotOK | Get-Folder -path inbox\DoesntWork -CreateIfNotExist
+               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (System.__ComObject:PSObject) [Get-Folder], ParameterBindingException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InputObjectNotBound,mapi.Get_OutlookFolder
Here's the code:
namespace mapi
    [Cmdlet(VerbsCommon.Get,
"Store")]
public class
Get_Store : PSCmdlet
protected override
void ProcessRecord()
base.ProcessRecord();
this.WriteObject(_getStore());
this.WriteDebug("Get-App::ProcessRecord");
public Application _getApplication()
Application app = new
Application();
return app;
        [Parameter(Position = 0, ValueFromPipeline =
false)]
        [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty]
public string StoreName
get { return _storeName; }
set { _storeName = value.ToLower(); }
string _storeName;
public Store _getStore()
Application app = null;
            try
if (null == _storeName)
throw new
ArgumentException("Missing argument 'StoreName'");
                app = _getApplication();
foreach (Store store
in app.Session.Stores)
if (store.DisplayName.ToLower() == _storeName)
return store;
if (null != store)
Marshal.ReleaseComObject(store);
return null;
finally
if (null != app)
Marshal.ReleaseComObject(app);
    [Cmdlet(VerbsCommon.Get,
"Folder")]
public class
Get_OutlookFolder : PSCmdlet
        [Parameter(Position = 0, ValueFromPipeline =
true, ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName =
false)]
        [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty]
public Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.Store Store
get
                return _store;
set
                _store =
value;
Store _store;
        [Parameter(Position = 0,ValueFromPipeline =
false)]
public string Path
get { return _folderPath; }
set { _folderPath = value; }
string _folderPath;
        [Parameter(Position = 1, ValueFromPipeline =
false)]
public SwitchParameter CreateIfNotExist
get { return _createIfNotExist; }
set { _createIfNotExist =
value; }
bool _createIfNotExist=false;
        protected
override void ProcessRecord()
this.WriteDebug("Get-Folder::ProcessRecord");
this.WriteObject(_createFolder());
private void _createOrOpenFolder(string path,
MAPIFolder parent, ref
MAPIFolder ret)
if (null == path ||
"" == path)
                ret = parent;
return;
string [] toks = path.Split('\\');
if (null == toks)
throw new
ArgumentException("folder path is invalid: " + _folderPath);
string folderName = toks[0];
MAPIFolder targetFolder = SearchChildFolders(parent, folderName);
if (null != targetFolder)
                path = path.Remove(0, folderName.Length);
                path = path.TrimStart('\\');
                _createOrOpenFolder(path, targetFolder,
ref ret);
else
// start creating
if (_createIfNotExist)
foreach (string newFolderName
in toks)
//if (null != targetFolder)
// Marshal.ReleaseComObject(targetFolder);
                        targetFolder = parent.Folders.Add(newFolderName);
//Marshal.ReleaseComObject(parent);
                        parent = targetFolder;
// return the last one on the path
                    ret = targetFolder;
else
throw new
ItemNotFoundException("Folder '" + folderName +
"' not on the path '" + _folderPath +
"' and CreateIfNotExist argument not passed.");
MAPIFolder SearchChildFolders(MAPIFolder parent,
string name)
foreach (MAPIFolder f
in parent.Folders)
if (f.Name.ToLower() == name)
return f;
else
Marshal.ReleaseComObject(f);
return null;
// return the requested folder.
public MAPIFolder _createFolder()
if (null == _folderPath)
throw new
ArgumentNullException("_folderPath");
if (null == _store)
throw new
ArgumentNullException("_store");
MAPIFolder ret = null;
            _createOrOpenFolder(_folderPath,
_store.GetRootFolder(),
                                ref
ret);
return ret;

Answer 1

Hi Lesthaler,
For the error you got in powershell, please confirm the parameter in the cmdlet Get-Folder accepts what kind of pipeline input type, this error indicates a wrong pipeline type.
For more detailed information to troubleshoot this error, you can also check this article:
about_Pipelines
If you need suggestions of the C# script, please go to the C# forum for a more effective support:
Visual C#
I hope this helps.