Export Sitecore item data in json to compare it with your preferred comparison tool

Export-SitecoreTree.ps1

############################################################
# This Script can be used for export Sitecore Item tree data
# This can be used for comparison scenarios like
# 1. Compare content of different databases eg: "master and web"
# 2. Compare content between environments eg: "local, dev, staging, prod"
# 3. Versions or languages
# Benefints: only export field you want to compare/inspect (less noise, like update fields and so on)
# Note: the scripts only deliverys the export. Comparision have to be done with a different tool (winmerge, baretail, kdiff etc.
# Preconditions: Powerhshell Sitecore Extensions installed
############################################################

$helixCustomSolution = ("/sitecore/templates/Project/*", "/sitecore/templates/Feature/*", "/sitecore/templates/Foundation/*", "/sitecore/layout/Layouts/Foundation/*", "/sitecore/layout/Layouts/Feature/*", "/sitecore/layout/Layouts/Project/*", "/sitecore/layout/Models/Foundation/*", "/sitecore/layout/Models/Feature/*", "/sitecore/layout/Models/Project/*", "/sitecore/layout/Renderings/Foundation/*", "/sitecore/layout/Renderings/Feature/*", "/sitecore/layout/Renderings/Project/*", "/sitecore/layout/Placeholder Settings/Foundation/*", "/sitecore/layout/Placeholer Settings/Feature/*", "/sitecore/layout/Placeholder Settings/Project/*" );

# Sitecore specific field lists
$standardTemplateFields = ("__Enable item fallback", "__Tracking", "__Source", "__Source Item", "__Enforce version presence", "__Standard values", "__Read Only", "__Sortorder", "__Editor", "__Originator", "__Style", "__Subitems Sorting", "__Preview", "__Hidden", "__Context Menu", "__Thumbnail", "__Skin", "__Editors", "__Display name", "__Ribbon", "__Icon", "__Long description", "__Short description", "__Help link", "__Final Renderings", "__Presets", "__Controller", "__Renderings", "__Page Level Test Set Definition", "__Content Test", "Controller Action", "__Hide Version", "__Valid from", "__Valid to", "__Facets", "__Boosting Rules", "__Boost", "__Masters", "__Insert Rules", "__Bucket Parent Reference", "__Bucketable", "__Quick Actions", "__Persist Bucket Filter", "__Should Not Organize In Bucket", "__Enable Views", "__Default Bucket Query", "__Is Bucket", "__Publish", "__Unpublish", "__Never publish", "__Publishing groups", "__Owner", "__Security", "__Created by", "__Created", "__Updated", "__Revision", "__Updated by", "__Semantics", "__Archive date", "__Reminder date", "_Archive Version date", "__Reminder recipients", "__Reminder text", "__Workflow Validation Rules", "__Suppressed Validation Rules", "__Validator Bar Validation Rules", "__Validate Button Validation Rules", "__Quick Action Bar Validation Rules", "__Workflow state", "__Workflow state", "__Workflow", "__Lock", "__Default workflow")
$presentationFields = ("__Renderings", "__Final Renderings");
$publishingFields = ("__Publish", "__Unpublish", "__Never publish", "__Publishing groups", "__Workflow Validation Rules", "__Suppressed Validation Rules", "__Validator Bar Validation Rules", "__Validate Button Validation Rules", "__Quick Action Bar Validation Rules", "__Workflow state", "__Workflow state", "__Workflow", "__Lock", "__Default workflow")

$excludedFieldNames = $standardTemplateFields;
#if includedFieldNames are used excluded will be ignored
$includedFieldNames = $null 


# Global configurations which can be activated or deactivated for your needs but please make sure if you use export for comparition that you use the same settings
$globalConfig = @{};
$globalConfig.UseFullPath = $true;
$globalConfig.UseName = $true;
$globalConfig.UseId = $false;
$globalConfig.UseTemplate = $false;
$globalConfig.UseLanguage = $true;
$globalConfig.UseVersion = $true;

# The extraction methods
function Get-ItemRepresentation($item, $excludedFields, $includedFields)
{
    # Global configuration intepretation
    Write-Host "Process item: " + $item.Name
    $representation = @{};
    if ($globalConfig.UseName -eq $true)
    {
        $representation.Add("Name", $item.Name)
    }
    if ($globalConfig.UseId -eq $true)
    {
        $representation.Add("ID", $item.ID.Guid)
    }
    if ($globalConfig.UseFullPath -eq $true)
    {
        $representation.Add("Path", $item.FullPath)
    }
    if ($globalConfig.UseTemplate -eq $true)
    {
        $representation.Add("Template", $item.TemplateID.Guid)
    }
    

    $version = [ordered]@{};
    if ($globalConfig.UseVersion -eq $true)
    {
        $version.Add("Version", $item.Version)
    }
    if ($globalConfig.UseLanguage -eq $true)
    {
        $version.Add("Language", $item.Language)
    }
    $fullpath = $item.FullPath
    Write-Host "Fields on item: $fullpath"
    $orderedFields = $item.Fields | Sort-Object -Property Key
    foreach($field in $orderedFields)
    {
        if($includedFields -ne $null)
        {
            if ($includedFields -contains $field.Name)
            {
                #Write-Host "Process field: " + $field.Name
                $version.Add($field.Name, $field.Value)
            }
        }
        else
        {
            if ($excludedFields -cnotcontains $field.Name)
            {
                #Write-Host "Process field: " + $field.Name
                $version.Add($field.Name, $field.Value)
            }
        }
    }
    $representation.Add("Version", $version)    
    return $representation; 
}

function Export-Trees($paths, $excludedFieldNames, $includedFieldNames, $db, $exportFileName)
{
    if ($exportFileName -eq $null)
    {
        $exportFileName = "export.json"
    }

    $results = @();
    foreach ($path in $paths)
    {
        if ($db -eq $null)
        {
            $db = "master"
        }

        Write-Host "Path will be executed: $path"-ForegroundColor Green
        $pathWithDatabase = $db + ":" + $path;
        if ($path.StartsWith("query:"))
        {
            $querypath = $db + ":"
            $items = Get-Item -Path $querypath -Query $path.TrimStart("query:") -Language * -Version *
            foreach ( $queryItem in $items)
            {
                $results += Get-ItemRepresentation $queryItem $excludedFieldNames $includedFieldNames
            }
        }
        else
        {     
            $recurse = $path.StartsWith("!") -or $path.EndsWith("*")
            $path = $path.TrimStart("!")
            $path = $path.TrimEnd("*")

            $self = Get-Item $path -Language * -Version * -Database $db
            foreach ( $selfversion in $self)
            {
                $results += Get-ItemRepresentation $selfversion $excludedFieldNames $includedFieldNames
            }
            # definition to also process subitems recursivly
            if ($recurse)
            {
                $children = Get-ChildItem $pathWithDatabase -Language * -Version * -Recurse;
        
                foreach ( $child in $children)
                {
                    $child
                    $results += Get-ItemRepresentation $child $excludedFieldNames $includedFieldNames
                }
            }
        }
    }
        
    Write-Host "Browser download startet. If you receive no download check if browser is blocking your download." -ForegroundColor Yellow
    ConvertTo-Json $results -Depth 2 | Out-Download -Name $exportFileName
}

$fieldNameTemplatePaths = ("/sitecore/templates/Foundation", "/sitecore/templates/Feature", "/sitecore/templates/Project");

function Get-TemplatesFieldNamesFromTemplateRoot($paths)
{
    $collectedFieldNames = @();
    [string]$collectedFieldNamesString = "("
    foreach ($path in $paths)
    {
        # templates must be created in english
        $children = Get-ChildItem $path -Language "en"  -Recurse;
        foreach ( $child in $children)
        {
            if ($child.TemplateId.Guid -eq "{455A3E98-A627-4B40-8035-E683A0331AC7}")
            {
                $fieldName = $child.Name
                $collectedFieldNames += $fieldName;
                $collectedFieldNamesString += ", '$fieldName'"
            }
        }
    }
    $collectedFieldNamesString += ")"
    $collectedFieldNamesString = $collectedFieldNamesString.Replace("(,", "(")
    
    Write-Host $collectedFieldNamesString
    return $collectedFieldNames;
}

# Extract from windows powershell console the flat item structure to separated language version files in filesystem structure
function Create-FolderStructure($inputFilePath, $folderDestination){
    if (Test-Path $inputFilePath)
    {
        if (Test-Path $folderDestination)
        {
            $json = Get-Content $inputFilePath | Out-String | ConvertFrom-Json
            for ($i; $i -lt $json.Count; $i++)
            {
                $fileObject = $json.Item($i)
                $path = $fileObject.Path.Replace("/", "\")
                $name = $fileObject.Name
                $content = ConvertTo-Json $fileObject

                $folder = $folderDestination.TrimEnd("\") + $path
                if (Test-Path $folder)
                {
                }
                else
                {
                    New-Item -ItemType "directory" -Path $folder -Force
                }

                # include name if you want + "\" + $name + "_"
                $filePath = $folder.TrimEnd("\") + "\"  + $fileObject.Version.Language + "_" + "v" + $fileObject.Version.Version + ".json"             
                New-Item -ItemType "file" -Path $filePath -Value $content -Force
            }
        }
    }
    else
    {
        Write-Host "InputFile Path not valid" -ForegroundColor Red
    }

}

# Export all data for a path
$pathsWithChildren = ("/sitecore/content/home/*", "/sitecore/content/system/languges/*")
Export-Trees $pathsWithChildren $excludedFieldNames $null "master" "export_master.json"
# Export only paths without children
$pathsWithoutChildren = ("/sitecore/content/home/", "/sitecore/content/system/languges/")
Export-Trees $pathsWithoutChildren $excludedFieldNames $null "master" "export_master.json"
# Export items by query
$pathsQuery = ("/sitecore/content/home//*[@@templatename='Sample Page']")
Export-Trees $pathsQuery $excludedFieldNames $null "master" "export_master.json"

# Compare custom data of the project only cases (to find missconfiguration) only appears on custom data fields of items
$customFields = Get-TemplatesFieldNamesFromTemplateRoot $fieldNameTemplatePaths # this searches for template fields under helix folder paths
Export-Trees $mypaths $excludedFieldNames $customFields "master" "customfieldsexport_master.json"
Export-Trees $mypaths $excludedFieldNames $customFields "web" "customfieldsexport_web.json"
# Compare files

# Publish database case
Export-Trees $mypaths $excludedFieldNames $includedFieldNames "master" "master.json"
Export-Trees $mypaths $excludedFieldNames $includedFieldNames "web" "web.json"
# Compare files

# Environment comparision case
# 1. Execute script on environment 1
Export-Trees $mypaths $excludedFieldNames $includedFieldNames "master" "env1.json"
# 2. Execute script on environment 2
Export-Trees $mypaths $excludedFieldNames $includedFieldNames "master" "env2.json"
# Compare files

# You can generate a filesystem folder structure form the flat exported file
Create-FolderStructure "export.json" "C:\temp\"
# Compare folders afterwards