In reply to https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/49ga0x/need_help_with_text_file_parse/

ParseXml.ps1

"`nWalking the XML tree`n"

$WeirdThingy = [xml](Get-Content "test.audit")

$RemoveNodes = @()

# Walk the nodes, match text and add nodes to $RemoveNodes array
$WeirdThingy.check_type.ChildNodes | ForEach-Object {
    if ($_.InnerText -match '8.1.1.1') {
        $RemoveNodes += $_
    }
}

# Go through the $RemoveNodes array and remove them
# If I removed during the earlier ForEach loop, it skipped and confused the loop
$RemoveNodes | ForEach-Object {
    $_.ParentNode.RemoveChild($_)
}

$WeirdThingy.OuterXml

# output:
# <check_type><custom_item>       
#         system                 : "Linux"
#         type                     : "CHECK"
#         description           : "8.1.1.2 other text blah blah"
#     </custom_item><custom_item>       
#         system                 : "Linux"
#         type                     : "CHECK"
#         description           : "8.1.1.3 text blah blah"
#     </custom_item></check_type>

"`nUsing Xpath`n"

$WeirdThingy = [xml](Get-Content "test.audit")

# Use Xpath query to match and return a list of nodes to remove, and remove them
$WeirdThingy.SelectNodes("//custom_item[contains(text(),'8.1.1.1')]") |
    ForEach-Object {
        $_.ParentNode.RemoveChild($_) | Out-Null
    }

$WeirdThingy.OuterXml

# output:
# <check_type><custom_item>       
#         system                 : "Linux"
#         type                     : "CHECK"
#         description           : "8.1.1.2 other text blah blah"
#     </custom_item><custom_item>       
#         system                 : "Linux"
#         type                     : "CHECK"
#         description           : "8.1.1.3 text blah blah"
#     </custom_item></check_type>

test.audit

<check_type>
    <custom_item>     
        system                 : "Linux"
        type                     : "CHECK"
        description           : "8.1.1.1 text blah blah"
    </custom_item>      
    <custom_item>       
        system                 : "Linux"
        type                     : "CHECK"
        description           : "8.1.1.2 other text blah blah"
    </custom_item>      
    <custom_item>       
        system                 : "Linux"
        type                     : "CHECK"
        description           : "8.1.1.1 more text blah blah"
    </custom_item>      
    <custom_item>       
        system                 : "Linux"
        type                     : "CHECK"
        description           : "8.1.1.3 text blah blah"
    </custom_item>       
</check_type>