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Jun

23

PowerShell resources

By Gene Laisne

I love VBScript! I have a library of VBScript functions and scripts as far as the eye can see. I can dance and frolic (yes, I said frolic) with VBScript all day long, But… (There is always a ‘but’) the more I get into PowerShell, the more I like it. What would take me lines and lines in VBScript, I can do in one line of PowerShell. And as we all know, the fewer lines, the fewer bugs.

Here, I want to give people some resources that I think will be very useful for picking up PowerShell. I see PowerShell as having 4 different levels.

  1. Just using simple commands and getting used to piping (I know *nix folks, but a lot of Windows people aren’t used to this idea of piping).
  2. Automating repetitive tasks with scripts.
  3. Writing Functions and better scripts
  4. Building modules and sharing code.

Admittedly, I my self am no Guru on PowerShell. I find myself somewhere at level 2-3 and only glimpsing level 4. But, where I can, I’m willing to offer a hand. Here are some resources for learning PowerShell.

Learn PowerShell before its an emergency – This is a series of beginner videos for PowerShell by “the Scripting Guy” (Microsoft’s in-house script guru).

Script Center – Microsoft site for all things scripting. Chances are someone may have written something that you could use. Or, use this as an educational resource for PowerShell.

Mastering PowerShell – Free on-line book by a PowerShell MVP that looks like a great soup-to-nuts resource.

Windows PowerShell 2.0 Administrator’s Pocket Consultant – Great book. This is how I got up to speed. Not an “idiots” book, but not a ‘nutshell’ book either, a nice in-between which is what I like for learning something new.

I have more, but I wanted to get something out there. I’ll add more as I find them.

–Gene