Powershell Function return HashTable

Question

I have this function:

Function BuildDaHash($data){
$arr=@{}
    $j=0
    $k=0
    For ($i=0; $i -lt $data.count; $i++){
        if ($data[$i] -match 'nmap scan report')  {
            $arr[$j]=@{}
            $arr[$j][$k] = $data[$i]
            $i++
            $k++
            Do {
               $arr[$j][$k] = $data[$i].Split(' ')[0]
               $i++
               $k++
               } While ($data[$i] -notmatch 'nmap scan report' -and $i -lt $data.count) 
           $j++
           $k=0
           $i--
        }
      }
      return $arr
}

this function takes a long string (Nmap scan report) and build Hash table so i can then address it as follows: output of $arr[0][0] is 192.168.20.10 and then followed by ports like: $arr[0][1] = 22; $arr[0][2] = 80, etc.

If i call the function from the script like so

BuildDaHash($string)

i will get the output of the hash table, but if i want to get the output to a varbiable so i can work with it, it comes empty. meaning if i do this:

$test = BuildDaHash($string)

it comes empty, what am i missing here? i thought maybe it something with building an empty hash before like so:

$tst =@{}
$tst = BuildDaHash($string)

But that also comes empty

*EDIT I know Nmap has different formats available, im working with default txt, i have another function that reads the output and return a txt only with the ip and the open/filtered ports here is an example of $string:

Nmap scan report for 11.11.111.111
21/tcp  filtered ftp
179/tcp filtered bgp
646/tcp filtered ldp
Nmap scan report for 22.22.222.12
21/tcp    filtered ftp
111/tcp   filtered rpcbind
179/tcp   filtered bgp
646/tcp   filtered ldp

Answer 1

As commented, you should not use brackets around parameters. Instead, in PowerShell you separate parameters by spaces.

The main issue here is that you think the data you're sending is a string, but in fact it should be a string array, because the function expects that.

Although I have no idea what you're trying to achieve with the resulting nested hashtable , but try:

$string = @"
Nmap scan report for 11.11.111.111
21/tcp  filtered ftp
179/tcp filtered bgp
646/tcp filtered ldp
Nmap scan report for 22.22.222.12
21/tcp    filtered ftp
111/tcp   filtered rpcbind
179/tcp   filtered bgp
646/tcp   filtered ldp
"@ -split '\r?\n'   # break the string down to a string array

$test = BuildDaHash $string

$test