[SOLVED] How do I cast an UInt32 to a (negative) Int32 in PowerShell?

How do I cast an UInt32 to a (negative) Int32 in PowerShell?

I have the following number of type System.UInt32: 4.294.967.176 (in bytes: FFFF FF88).

I have to interpret this number as a number of type System.Int32, where it will be: -120 (in bytes still: FFFF FF88).

In languages like C or C++ a simple type cast would solve my problem, but type casting in PowerShell:

[Int32][UInt32]4294967176

throws an error:

Cannot convert value "4294967176" to type "System.Int32". Error: "Value was either too large or too small for an
Int32."
At line:1 char:1
+ [Int32][UInt32]4294967176
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastIConvertible

It looks like PowerShell is trying to "convert" the value instead of just casting it. So, how do I cast System.UInt32 to System.Int32, meaning not changing the data, but using another interpretation/representation?

Solution

Since .Net numeric data types support conversion into hex equivalents, convert the UInt32 into string first. Then use System.Convert.ToInt32() and parse hex to int. Like so,

$u = [UInt32]4294967176
$u.tostring('x')
ffffff88

# Convert hex based value to int
$i =  [convert]::toint32($u.tostring('x'), 16) 

# Check that type is int32
$i.GetType()
IsPublic IsSerial Name                             BaseType
-------- -------- ----                             --------
True     True     Int32                            System.ValueType

# Value    
$i
-120