PowerShell doesn't - but the .NET `[string]` type has the [`Insert()`](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.string.insert%28v=vs.110%29.aspx) method :

    PS C:\> "abc".Insert(0,"xyz")
    xyzabc

You still can't shortcut the assigment though, it would become:

    $targetPath = $targetPath.Insert(0,'Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\FileSystem::')

---

Alternatively, create a function that does it for you:

    function Prepend-StringVariable {
        param(
            [string]$VariableName,
            [string]$Prefix
        )

        # Scope:1 refers to the immediate parent scope, ie. the caller
        $var = Get-Variable -Name $VariableName -Scope 1
        if($var.Value -is [string]){
            $var.Value = "{0}{1}" -f $Prefix,$var.Value
        }
    }

And in use:

    PS C:\> $targetPath = "C:\Somewhere"
    PS C:\> Prepend-String targetPath "Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\FileSystem::"
    PS C:\> $targetPath
    Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\FileSystem::C:\Somewhere

Although I'd generally recommend against this pattern (writing back to variables in ancestral scopes unless necessary)

So powershell (and most languages) have an [assignment by addition operator][1] that works with string by adding the new string to the tail of the original

For example this:

    $targetPath += "\*"

Will do the same thing as this:

    $targetPath = "$targetPath\*"

Is there an operator that can do the same thing, but by prefixing the current string?

Of course, I can do the following, but I'm looking for something slightly terser

    $targetPath = "Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\FileSystem::$targetPath"

[1]: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Hh847732.aspx

Prefix Assignment Operator in Powershell

The problem was with the option for **Inferred Typing** turned off.  This could be illustrated by a simpler example where initialing an object without declaring its type first resulted in a plain, boring object.

[![= vs. As assignment][1]][1]

To resolve this, you can turn On Inferred Typing with the option statement:



    Option Infer On

Now our simple date example should work:

[![Dim x = New DateTime][2]][2]

Finally, just make sure you compile the the code once because anonymous objects are actually implemented as hidden classes behind the scenes.

[![enter image description here][3]][3]


  [1]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/YkGFH.png
  [2]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/U4ILc.png
  [3]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/EBcEd.png

You can [initialize an anonymous object][1] like this:



    Dim cust = New With {.Name = "Hugo", .Age = 23}

And you can [initialize a collection][2] like this:



    Dim numbers = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
    Dim names As New List(Of String) From {"Christa", "Brian", "Tim"}

But can you initialize an array of anonymous object **with syntax support**

You can do it like this, but `custs` will just be a plain `object`:



[![Dim custs = { New With {.Name = "Hugo", .Age = 23}, New With {.Name = "Boss", .Age = 32} }][3]][3]

You can do it like this, but each item in `custs` will just be a plain `object`:

[![Dim custs As New List(Of Object) From { New With {.Name = "Hugo", .Age = 23}, New With {.Name = "Boss", .Age = 32} }][4]][4]

How can I initialize a list/collection/array such that I can access the full power of the collection and also the properties of the anonymous object type inside


  [1]: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb385125.aspx
  [2]: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd293617.aspx
  [3]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/96gog.png
  [4]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/eOKZT.png