Windows PowerShell Scripting and Toolmaking Training

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the correct patterns for building modularized tools in Windows PowerShell
• Build highly modularized functions that comply with native PowerShell patterns
• Build controller scripts that expose user interfaces and automate business processes
• Manage data in a variety of formats
• Write automated tests for tools
• Debug tools

• Module 1: Tool Design
  • This module explains how to design tools and units of automation that comply with native PowerShell usage patterns.
  • Lessons
  • Tools do one thing
  • Tools are flexible
  • Tools look native
  • Lab: Designing a Tool
  • Design a tool
• Module 2: Start with a Command
  • This module explains how to start the scripting process by beginning in the interactive shell console.
  • Lessons
  • Why start with a command?
  • Discovery and experimentation
  • Lab: Starting with a Command
  • Start with a command
• Module 3: Build a Basic Function and Module
  • This module explains how to build a basic function and module, using commands already experimented with in the shell.
  • Lessons
  • Start with a basic function
  • Create a script module
  • Check prerequisites
  • Run the new command
  • Lab: Building a Basic Function and Module
  • Build a basic function and module
• Module 4: Adding CmdletBinding and Parameterizing
  • This module explains how to extend the functionality of a tool, parameterize input values, and use CmdletBinding.
  • Lessons
  • About CmdletBinding and common parameters
  • Accepting pipeline input
  • Mandatory-ness
  • Parameter validation
  • Parameter aliases
  • Lab: Adding CmdletBinding and Parameterizing
  • Adding CmdletBinding and parameterizing
• Module 5: Emitting Objects as Output
  • This module explains how to create tools that produce custom objects as output.
  • Lessons
  • Assembling information
  • Constructing and emitting output
  • Quick tests
  • Lab: Emitting Objects as Output
  • Emit objects as output
• Module 6: An Interlude: Changing Your Approach
  • This module explains how to re-think tool design, using concrete examples of how it’s often done wrong.
  • Lessons
  • Examining a script
  • Critiquing a script
  • Revising the script
• Module 7: Using Verbose, Warning, and Informational Output
  • This module explains how to use additional output pipelines for better script behaviors.
  • Lessons
  • Knowing the six channels
  • Adding verbose and warning output
  • Doing more with verbose output
  • Informational output
  • Lab: Using Verbose, Warning, and Informational Output
  • Using verbose, warning, and informational output
• Module 8: Comment-Based Help
  • This module explains how to add comment-based help to tools.
  • Lessons
  • Where to put your help
  • Getting started
  • Going further with comment-based help
  • Broken help
  • Lab: Adding Comment-Based Help
  • Add comment-based help
• Module 9: Handling Errors
  • This module explains how to create tools that deal with anticipated errors.
  • Lessons
  • Understanding errors and exceptions
  • Bad handling
  • Two reasons for exception handling
  • Handling exceptions in our tool
  • Capturing the actual exception
  • Handling exceptions for non-commands
  • Going further with exception handling
  • Deprecated exception handling
  • Lab: Handling Errors
  • Handle errors
• Module 10: Basic Debugging
  • This module explains how to use native PowerShell script debugging tools.
  • Lessons
  • Two kinds of bugs
  • The ultimate goal of debugging
  • Developing assumptions
  • Write-Debug
  • Set-PSBreakpoint
  • The PowerShell ISE
  • Lab: Basic Debugging
  • Perform basic debugging
• Module 11: Going Deeper with Parameters
  • This module explains how to further define parameter attributes in a PowerShell command.
  • Lessons
  • Parameter positions
  • Validation
  • Multiple parameter sets
  • Value from remaining arguments
  • Help messages
  • Aliases
  • More CmdletBinding
• Module 12: Writing Full Help
  • This module explains how to create external help for a command.
  • Lessons
  • External help
  • Using PlatyPs
  • Supporting online help
  • “About” topics
  • Making your help updatable
  • Lab: Writing Full Help
  • Write full help for a tool
• Module 13: Unit Testing Your Code
  • This module explains how to use Pester to perform basic unit testing.
  • Lessons
  • Sketching out the test
  • Making something to test
  • Expanding the test
  • Going further with Pester
  • Lab: Unit Testing Your Code
  • Unit test your code
• Module 14: Extending Output Types
  • This module explains how to extend objects with additional capabilities.
  • Lessons
  • Understanding types
  • The Extensible Type System
  • Extending an object
  • Using Update-TypeData
• Module 15: Analyzing Your Script
  • This module explains how to use Script Analyzer to support best practices and prevent common problems.
  • Lessons
  • Performing a basic analysis
  • Analyzing the analysis
  • Lab: Analyzing Your Script
  • Analyze your script
• Module 16: Publishing Your Tools
  • This module explains how to publish tools to public and private repositories.
  • Lessons
  • Begin with a manifest
  • Publishing to PowerShell Gallery
  • Publishing to private repositories
  • Lab: Publishing Your Tools
  • Publish your tools
• Module 17: Basic Controllers: Automation Scripts and Menus
  • This module explains how to create controller scripts that put tools to use.
  • Lessons
  • Building a menu
  • Using UIChoice
  • Writing a process controller
  • Lab: Basic Controllers
  • Create basic controllers
• Module 18: Proxy Functions
  • This module explains how to create and use proxy functions.
  • Lessons
  • A proxy example
  • Creating the proxy base
  • Modifying the proxy
  • Adding or removing parameters
  • Lab: Proxy Functions
  • Create and modify proxy functions
• Module 19: Working with XML Data
  • This module explains how to work with XML data in PowerShell.
  • Lessons
  • Simple: CliXML
  • Importing native XML
  • ConvertTo-XML
  • Creating native XML from scratch
  • Lab: Working with XML Data
  • Work with XML data
• Module 20: Working with JSON Data
  • This module explains how to use JSON data in PowerShell.
  • Lessons
  • Converting to JSON
  • Converting from JSON
  • Lab: Working with JSON Data
  • Work with JSON data
• Module 21: Working with SQL Server Data
  • This module explains how to use SQL Server from within a PowerShell script.
  • Lessons
  • SQL Server terminology and facts
  • Connecting to the server and database
  • Writing a query
  • Running a query
  • Invoke-SqlCmd
  • Thinking about tool design patterns

Administrators that have little or no programming experience but who have a working knowledge of Windows PowerShell and who are able to use Windows PowerShell to run complex, interactive commands. Students of this course may administer a wide variety of server and client products and technologies that offer Windows PowerShell integration, including Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Windows Active Directory Domain Services, Microsoft SharePoint Server, and more.

• Experience at basic Windows administration
• Experience using Windows PowerShell to query and modify system information
• Experience using Windows PowerShell to discover commands and their usage
• Experience using WMI and/or CIM to query system information

• Microsoft Automating Administration with PowerShell (AZ-040)
• Microsoft Automating Administration with Windows PowerShell (M10961)
• Configuring Windows Server Hybrid Advanced Services (AZ-801)