Markdown in Action
I hope you’ve been able to apply the content from the last few articles and create a few markdown documents. Hopefully, you’ve seen that the syntax is not...
Do More with Markdown
Welcome back. A few days ago, I introduced you to creating simple markdown documents. While markdown isn’t a PowerShell “thing,” it certainly plays a role in...
Get Down with Markdown
Today’s topic may not necessarily be a PowerShell topic, but it is something you should understand. Knowing how to create markdown documents is a useful...
More PowerShell ISE Automation Tricks
Last time I demonstrated how you can automate the Windows PowerShell ISE. If this is still your primary editor, you might as well get the most from it....
Windows PowerShell ISE Automation
I switched years ago to VSCode as my primary PowerShell development tool. I’m sure many of my readers have also made the switch. But I recognize many people...
PowerShell Scripting with Credentials
In my last article, I demonstrated how to work with a credential object in PowerShell. This is a task that you should be doing often. You should run your...
Using Credentials
Recently, a reader reached out to ask about using credentials in PowerShell. He wasn’t sure if he was using credentials properly and securely. I’m sure he...
Stylish PowerShell Errors
Before we leave the topic of error handling and PowerShell errors, at least for now, I want to highlight some PowerShell 7 features on the subject. For the...
Structured Error Handling
Over the last few articles, I've been teaching you about PowerShell's error system and how to handle errors properly. The worst thing you can do is pretend...
Catch Them All PowerShell
Welcome back. Last time we started looking at how to use Try/Catch in your PowerShell scripts to handle errors better. And you want to handle them. As a best...
Try This PowerShell
In the previous article, we began looking into PowerShell's error system. As you learned, there is the exception object and the error message. You can...
To Err is Human, To Understand is the PowerShell Pro
I don’t think I’ve discussed how PowerShell handles errors in any detail, and you can’t be an effective toolmaker or PowerShell user unless you understand...
Building with Parameter Sets
Let’s continue building a PowerShell function and explore a topic that might be new to you, parameter sets. We use parameter sets all the time in PowerShell....
Can You Help a Function Out?
I spend a lot of time writing about code, language, and syntax. But there is more to a professional-grade PowerShell script or function than pipelined...
Writing Multi-Value Functions
I’ve devoted the last few articles to writing advanced functions. By now, you should know to ask yourself, “Who will be using my function and how?” Let’s...
PowerShell Functions 301
We’ve been looking at PowerShell functions, beginning with a simple basic function. function Get-Uptime { $os = Get-CimInstance -ClassName...
PowerShell Functions 201
Last time we started looking at creating a basic PowerShell function. The function is a command written in PowerShell’s scripting language that accomplishes...
PowerShell Functions 101
One of the content suggestions I received recently asked for content on writing PowerShell functions. Specifically, the reader wanted to see how to write a...
Understanding .NET Enumerations
I want to continue my introduction to the .NET Framework by discussing enumerations. This is a programming structure that is often used in PowerShell. Most...
.NET for IT Pros
Not that long ago, I asked for feedback on this newsletter. One of the things I was looking for was content suggestions. I can’t promise I’ll cover...
Creating a PowerShell Weather Command Part 8
I truly hope you’ve been learning something about developing a PowerShell tool and writing Pester tests. You can easily knock out a quick and dirty script or...
Creating a PowerShell Weather Command Part 7
After a brief break, let’s return to the weather tool and Pester tests. When we ended last time, we had a function to get a location that could be piped to...
Getting Your Group On
I thought I’d give you a break from the weather function and Pester test. We’ll pick that series later. In the meantime, I thought I’d dive into one of my...
Creating a PowerShell Weather Command Part 6
Get-OMLocation
Creating a PowerShell Weather Command Part 5
Parameter Validation
Creating a PowerShell Weather Command Part 4
Weather Codes
Creating a PowerShell Weather Command Part 3
Adding command validation
Feedback Follow-Up
This is a quick follow-up survey for my premium subscribers only. I’d like to get an idea of the number of articles showing up in your email. I’d also like a...
Creating a PowerShell Weather Command Part 2
Test-Driven Development
I Need to Hear From You
When I started this newsletter, I had some ideas about the type of content I wanted to create. I very much wanted to get into the intangible qualities of...
Creating a PowerShell Weather Command
Part 1
Parameter Power
When creating a PowerShell function, you've often heard me say, "Think about who will use it and what are their expectations?" As a corollary, you want to...
Data Files as Script Files
Last year, I wrote an article about the importance of separating PowerShell code from the data you need to run that code. I still believe this is a critical...
Switch Hitting with PowerShell
Last time we started diving into using the Switch construct in PowerShell scripting. I think this is an excellent alternative if you need to build a large...
Switching Things Up in PowerShell
Learning the mechanics and syntax of PowerShell is not that difficult. Anyone can read the documentation for a concept like an IF statement and understand...
Logging with PowerShell Transcripts
Over the course of the last several articles, we’ve been exploring how to use and manage PowerShell transcript files. Before we move on, I wanted to show you...
PowerShell Transcript Tools
In the previous article, we looked at PowerShell’s transcription feature. Running Start-Transcript is a terrific way to maintain an audit log or history of...
PowerShell Transcript Techniques
A helpful PowerShell feature that I don’t think many people take advantage of is transcription. It is very easy to create a text-based log file. The log file...
Building Class-Based PowerShell Modules
Over the last several weeks, we’ve been exploring how to script with a PowerShell class. The last step is to take everything we’ve covered and wrap it up in...
Climbing the PowerShell Class Family Tree
When I started this series, I pointed out that a PowerShell class, while easy to define, lacks all the features of a traditional class defined in a language...
Advanced PowerShell Class Extensions
I think today’s article will be fun. We’ve been exploring how to write and use PowerShell classes in our scripting projects. I hope you’ve grabbed the demo...
Adding PowerShell Class Bells and Whistles
I hope you’ve been enjoying this series of articles on developing with PowerShell classes. As you’ve seen, creating a PowerShell class is not that difficult,...
Extending PowerShell Classes with Methods
We are in the middle of a series of articles teaching how to write PowerShell-based classes. This is a different kind of scripting technique, that I know...
PowerShell Construction Area
In the last article, I started a series focused on scripting with PowerShell classes. The eventual goal is to separate the object definition from the code...
Introduction to PowerShell Class Scripting
I know you’ve heard me go on and on about the importance of working with objects in the PowerShell pipeline. It is this paradigm that puts “Power” in the...
PowerShell ISE Snippets
In past articles, I’ve written about using snippets in VS Code, although I might revisit this in-depth in a future article. As much as I like VS Code and...
More PowerShell Parameter Planning
In the last article, I started an exploration of parameter planning. The mechanics of adding a parameter to your PowerShell function is easy. But deciding...
PowerShell Parameter Planning
Over the last year, I’ve written a lot about PowerShell scripting. I’ve shown you many PowerShell functions and explained their mechanics. Parameters play an...
"Live" PowerShell Tool Making Part 4
Welcome back to the conclusion of my “live” PowerShell toolmaking project using the Crescendo module. I’ve been building a module around the GitHub command...
Live PowerShell Tool Making Part 3
We’re back once more to continue building a Crescendo module around the GitHub command line tool gh.exe. You’ve seen how I approach building a PowerShell and...