Import Excel file into powershell in a manner compatible with Import-Csv

Import-Excel.ps1

function Import-Excel {
<#
    .SYNOPSIS
        Creates table-like custom objects from the items in a Excel file.
        Requires Excel be installed!
    .DESCRIPTION
        The Import-Excel cmdlet creates table-like custom objects from the items in Excel
        Worksheets.
        Each column in the Excel Worksheet becomes a property of the custom object and the items in
        rows become the property values. Import-Excel works on any file supported by Excel.
    .PARAMETER Path
        Specifies the path to the Excel file to import.
    .PARAMETER WorksheetName
        [OPTIONAL] Specifies the name of the Worksheet to import.
        
        If this parameter is not specified the first Worksheet is imported.
        If multiple Worksheets with the same name exist in the Workbook the first matching Worksheet
            is Imported.
    .PARAMETER Silent
        [OPTIONAL] Supress the display of the import progress.
    .EXAMPLE
        Load the first Worksheet of an Excel Workbook.
        
        Import-Excel -Path ./Example.xlsx
    .EXAMPLE
        Load a Worksheet named "Example" from an Excel Workbook.
        
        Import-Excel -Path ./Example.xlsx -WorksheetName "Example"
    .EXAMPLE
        Silently load the first Worksheet of an Excel Workbook.
        
        Import-Excel -Path ./Example.xlsx -Silent
    .LINK https://gist.github.com/ellisgeek/bf621e4b10071f789931
    .NOTE
        Original function written by Roman Podlisk (https://podlisk.wordpress.com)
        https://podlisk.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/import-excel-spreadsheet-into-powershell/
        
        I only added better validation to parameters and wrote documentation.
#>
    param (
        [parameter(Mandatory = $true,
                   Position = 0,
                   ValueFromPipeline = $true)]
        [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()]
        [ValidateScript({ Resolve-Path $_ | Test-Path})]
        [string]
        $Path,
        [parameter(Mandatory = $false)]
        [string]
        $WorksheetName,
        [parameter(Mandatory = $false)]
        [switch]
        $Silent
    )
    
    $Path = Resolve-Path $Path
    $excel = New-Object -com "Excel.Application"
    $excel.Visible = $false
    $workbook = $excel.workbooks.open($Path)
    
    if (-not $WorksheetName) {
        Write-Warning "Defaulting to the first worksheet in workbook."
        $sheet = $workbook.ActiveSheet
    }
    else {
        $sheet = $workbook.Sheets.Item($WorksheetName)
    }
    
    if (-not $sheet) {
        throw "Unable to open worksheet $WorksheetName"
        exit
    }
    
    $sheetName = $sheet.Name
    $columns = $sheet.UsedRange.Columns.Count
    $lines = $sheet.UsedRange.Rows.Count
    
    Write-Debug "Worksheet $sheetName contains $columns columns and $lines lines of data"
    
    $fields = @()
    
    for ($column = 1; $column -le $columns; $column++) {
        $fieldName = $sheet.Cells.Item.Invoke(1, $column).Value2
        if ($fieldName -eq $null) {
            $fieldName = "Column" + $column.ToString()
        }
        $fields += $fieldName
    }
    
    $line = 2
    
    
    for ($line = 2; $line -le $lines; $line++) {
        $values = New-Object object[] $columns
        for ($column = 1; $column -le $columns; $column++) {
            $values[$column - 1] = $sheet.Cells.Item.Invoke($line, $column).Value2
        }
        
        $row = New-Object psobject
        $fields | foreach-object -begin { $i = 0 } -process {
            $row | Add-Member -MemberType noteproperty -Name $fields[$i] -Value $values[$i]; $i++
        }
        $row
        $percents = [math]::round((($line/$lines) * 100), 0)
        if (-not $Silent) {
            Write-Progress -Activity:"Importing from Excel file $Path" `
            -Status:"Imported $line of total $lines lines ($percents%)" -PercentComplete:$percents
        }
    }
    $workbook.Close()
    $excel.Quit()
}