iterate outlook folder item search results via powershell COM automation

outlook.search.ps1

# this GIST is available under the conditions of
# https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

# example how to search Outlook mailbox via COM automation 
# + find lines with specific text while also further filtering these 
# this approach is actually much more readable than the VB examples in MS help
# thanks to escaped quotes not subject to some ugly concatenation practices
#
# useful references here:
# https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/outlook/how-to/search-and-filter/filter-the-body-of-a-mail-item
# https://stackoverflow.com/questions/44881641/outlook-advanced-search-urnschemashttpmaildatereceived
# https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/api/outlook.application.advancedsearch
#
# get COM object
$otl = New-Object -ComObject Outlook.Application

# list of available MAPI stores - useful for figuring FolderPath for search query 
$otl.GetNamespace('MAPI').Folders | select Name
# list of Folders in the first store (is again called Folder)
$otl.GetNamespace('MAPI').Folders[1].Folders | select Name

# prepare filter to look for mails with ALTER and TABLE (two conditions in conjunction)
# the urn:schemas:httpmail:textdescription thing denotes the body of the message 🤦🏽‍♀️
$filt = $otl.AdvancedSearch(
  "'\\mailbox\Folder'", 
  "(urn:schemas:httpmail:textdescription like '%ALTER%') and (urn:schemas:httpmail:textdescription like '%TABLE%')")

# filter ouit certain lines from the body
$filt.Results | Select Body | Select-String 'ALTER.*' | %{$_.Matches.Value }

#or with sender name...
$filt.Results | Select-Object -Property `
  @{label='Sender'; expression = {$_.Sender.Name}}, 
  @{label='SQL'; expression = {$_.Body | Select-String 'ALTER.*' | %{$_.Matches.Value }}}