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Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Third Edition

Name: Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Third Edition
ISBN: 9781617294167

by Jeffery Hicks, Don Jones

December 2016

Beginner to intermediate

384 pages

10h 44m

English

Manning Publications

Audiobook available

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Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Third Edition
Don Jones and Jeffery Hicks
Copyright
Brief Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
About this Book
Author Online
About the Authors
Chapter 1. Before you begin
1.1. Why you can’t afford to ignore PowerShell1.1.1. Life without PowerShell1.1.2. Life with PowerShell1.2. And now, it’s just “PowerShell”1.3. Is this book for you?1.4. How to use this book1.4.1. The main chapters1.4.2. Hands-on labs1.4.3. Code samples1.4.4. Supplementary materials1.4.5. Further exploration1.4.6. Above and beyond1.5. Setting up your lab environment1.6. Installing Windows PowerShell1.7. Contacting us1.8. Being immediately effective with PowerShell
Chapter 2. Meet PowerShell
2.1. Choose your weapon2.1.1. The console window2.1.2. The Integrated Scripting Environment2.2. It’s typing class all over again2.3. Common points of confusion2.4. What version is this?2.5. Lab

Chapter 3. Using the help system
3.1. The help system: how you discover commands3.2. Updatable help3.3. Asking for help3.4. Using help to find commands3.5. Interpreting the help3.5.1. Parameter sets and common parameters3.5.2. Optional and mandatory parameters3.5.3. Positional parameters3.5.4. Parameter values3.5.5. Finding command examples3.6. Accessing “about” topics3.7. Accessing online help3.8. Lab3.9. Lab answers
Chapter 4. Running commands
4.1. Not scripting, but running commands4.2. The anatomy of a command4.3. The cmdlet naming convention4.4. Aliases: nicknames for commands4.5. Taking shortcuts4.5.1. Truncating parameter names4.5.2. Using parameter name aliases4.5.3. Using positional parameters4.6. Cheating a bit: Show-Command4.7. Support for external commands4.8. Dealing with errors4.9. Common points of confusion4.9.1. Typing cmdlet names4.9.2. Typing parameters4.10. Lab4.11 Lab Answers
Chapter 5. Working with providers
5.1. What are providers?5.2. Understanding how the filesystem is organized5.3. Understanding how the filesystem is like other data stores5.4. Navigating the filesystem5.5. Using wildcards and literal paths5.6. Working with other providers5.7. Lab5.8. Further exploration5.9. Lab answers
Chapter 6. The pipeline: connecting commands
6.1. Connecting one command to another: less work for you6.2. Exporting to a CSV or an XML file6.2.1. Exporting to CSV6.2.2. Exporting to XML6.2.3. Comparing files6.3. Piping to a file or a printer6.4. Converting to HTML6.5. Using cmdlets that modify the system: killing processes and stopping services6.6. Common points of confusion6.7. Lab6.8. Lab answers
Chapter 7. Adding commands
7.1. How one shell can do everything7.2. About product-specific “management shells”7.3. Extensions: finding and adding snap-ins7.4. Extensions: finding and adding modules7.5. Command conflicts and removing extensions7.6. On non-Windows operating systems7.7. Playing with a new module7.8. Profile scripts: preloading extensions when the shell starts7.9. Getting modules from the internet7.10. Common points of confusion7.11. Lab7.12. Lab answers
Chapter 8. Objects: data by another name
8.1. What are objects?8.2. Understanding why PowerShell uses objects8.3. Discovering objects: Get-Member8.4. Using object attributes, or properties8.5. Using object actions, or methods8.6. Sorting objects8.7. Selecting the properties you want8.8. Objects until the end8.9. Common points of confusion8.10. Lab8.11. Lab answers
Chapter 9. The pipeline, deeper
9.1. The pipeline: enabling power with less typing9.2. How PowerShell passes data down the pipeline9.3. Plan A: pipeline input ByValue9.4. Plan B: pipeline input ByPropertyName9.5. When things don’t line up: custom properties9.6. Parenthetical commands9.7. Extracting the value from a single property9.8. Lab9.9. Further exploration9.10. Lab answers
Chapter 10. Formatting—and why it’s done on the right
10.1. Formatting: making what you see prettier10.2. Working with the default formatting10.3. Formatting tables10.4. Formatting lists10.5. Formatting wide lists10.6. Creating custom columns and list entries10.7. Going out: to a file, a printer, or the host10.8. Another out: GridViews10.9. Common points of confusion10.9.1. Always format right10.9.2. One type of object at a time, please10.10. Lab10.11. Further exploration10.12. Lab answers
Chapter 11. Filtering and comparisons
11.1. Making the shell give you just what you need11.2. Filtering left11.3. Using comparison operators11.4. Filtering objects out of the pipeline11.5. Using the iterative command-line model11.6. Common points of confusion11.6.1. Filter left, please11.6.2. When $_ is allowed11.7. Lab11.8. Further exploration11.9. Lab answers
Chapter 12. A practical interlude
12.1. Defining the task12.2. Finding the commands12.3. Learning to use the commands12.4. Tips for teaching yourself12.5. Lab12.6. Lab answer
Chapter 13. Remote control: one-to-one, and one-to-many
13.1. The idea behind remote PowerShell13.2. WinRM overview13.3. Using Enter-PSSession and Exit-PSSession for one-to-one remoting13.4. Using Invoke-Command for one-to-many remoting13.5. Differences between remote and local commands13.5.1. Invoke-Command vs. -computerName13.5.2. Local vs. remote processing13.5.3. Deserialized objects13.6. But wait, there’s more13.7. Remote options13.8. Common points of confusion13.9. Lab13.10. Further exploration13.11. Lab answers
Chapter 14. Using Windows Management Instrumentation and CIM
14.1. WMI essentials14.2. The bad news about WMI14.3. Exploring WMI14.4. Choose your weapon: WMI or CIM14.5. Using Get-WmiObject14.6. Using Get-CimInstance14.7. WMI documentation14.8. Common points of confusion14.9. Lab14.10. Further exploration14.11. Lab answers
Chapter 15. Multitasking with background jobs
15.1. Making PowerShell do multiple things at the same time15.2. Synchronous vs. asynchronous15.3. Creating a local job15.4. WMI, as a job15.5. Remoting, as a job15.6. Getting job results15.7. Working with child jobs15.8. Commands for managing jobs15.9. Scheduled jobs15.10. Common points of confusion15.11. Lab15.12. Lab answers
Chapter 16. Working with many objects, one at a time
16.1. Automation for mass management16.2. The preferred way: “batch” cmdlets16.3. The CIM/WMI way: invoking methods16.4. The backup plan: enumerating objects16.5. Common points of confusion16.5.1. Which way is the right way?16.5.2. WMI methods vs. cmdlets16.5.3. Method documentation16.5.4. ForEach-Object confusion16.6. Lab16.7. Lab answers
Chapter 17. Security alert!
17.1. Keeping the shell secure17.2. Windows PowerShell security goals17.3. Execution policy and code signing17.3.1. Execution policy settings17.3.2. Digital code signing17.4. Other security measures17.5. Other security holes?17.6. Security recommendations17.7. Lab
Chapter 18. Variables: a place to store your stuff
18.1. Introduction to variables18.2. Storing values in variables18.3. Using variables: fun tricks with quotes18.4. Storing many objects in a variable18.4.1. Working with single objects in a variable18.4.2. Working with multiple objects in a variable18.4.3. Other ways to work with multiple objects18.4.4. Unrolling properties and methods in PowerShell v318.5. More tricks with double quotes18.6. Declaring a variable’s type18.7. Commands for working with variables18.8. Variable best practices18.9. Common points of confusion18.10. Lab18.11. Further exploration18.12. Lab answers
Chapter 19. Input and output
19.1. Prompting for, and displaying, information19.2. Read-Host19.3. Write-Host19.4. Write-Output19.5. Other ways to write19.6. Lab19.7. Further exploration19.8. Lab answers
Chapter 20. Sessions: remote control with less work
20.1. Making PowerShell remoting a bit easier20.2. Creating and using reusable sessions20.3. Using sessions with Enter-PSSession20.4. Using sessions with Invoke-Command20.5. Implicit remoting: importing a session20.6. Using disconnected sessions20.7. Lab20.8. Further exploration20.9. Lab answers
Chapter 21. You call this scripting?
21.1. Not programming, more like batch files21.2. Making commands repeatable21.3. Parameterizing commands21.4. Creating a parameterized script21.5. Documenting your script21.6. One script, one pipeline21.7. A quick look at scope21.8. Lab21.9. Lab answer
Chapter 22. Improving your parameterized script
22.1. Starting point22.2. Getting PowerShell to do the hard work22.3. Making parameters mandatory22.4. Adding parameter aliases22.5. Validating parameter input22.6. Adding the warm and fuzzies with verbose output22.7. Lab22.8. Lab answer
Chapter 23. Advanced remoting configuration
23.1. Using other endpoints23.2. Creating custom endpoints23.2.1. Creating the session configuration23.2.2. Registering the session23.3. Enabling multihop remoting23.4. Digging deeper into remoting authentication23.4.1. Defaults for mutual authentication23.4.2. Mutual authentication via SSL23.4.3. Mutual authentication via TrustedHosts23.5. Lab23.6. Lab answer
Chapter 24. Using regular expressions to parse text files
24.1. The purpose of regular expressions24.2. A regex syntax primer24.3. Using regex with -Match24.4. Using regex with Select-String24.5. Lab24.6. Further exploration24.7. Lab answers
Chapter 25. Additional random tips, tricks, and techniques
25.1. Profiles, prompts, and colors: customizing the shell25.1.1. PowerShell profiles25.1.2. Customizing the prompt25.1.3. Tweaking colors25.2. Operators: -as, -is, -replace, -join, -split, -in, -contains25.2.1. -as and -is25.2.2. -replace25.2.3. -join and -split25.2.4. -contains and -in25.3. String manipulation25.4. Date manipulation25.5. Dealing with WMI dates25.6. Setting default parameter values25.7. Playing with script blocks25.8. More tips, tricks, and techniques
Chapter 26. Using someone else’s script
26.1. The script26.2. It’s a line-by-line examination26.3. Lab26.4. Lab answer
Chapter 27. Never the end
27.1. Ideas for further exploration27.2. “Now that I’ve read the book, where do I start?”27.3. Other resources you’ll grow to love
Chapter 28. PowerShell cheat sheet
28.1. Punctuation28.2. Help file28.3. Operators28.4. Custom property and column syntax28.5. Pipeline parameter input28.6. When to use $_
Appendix. Review labs
Review lab 1: chapters 1–8Hints:Task 1Task 2Task 3Task 4Task 5Task 6Task 7Task 8Task 9Task 10Task 11Task 12Task 13Task 14Task 15Task 16Task 17Task 18Review lab 2: chapters 1–14Hints:Task 1Task 2Task 3Task 4Task 5Task 6Task 7Task 8Task 9Task 10Task 11Task 12Task 13Task 14Task 15Task 16Task 17Review lab 3: chapters 1–19Task 1Task 2Task 3Task 4Task 5AnswersReview Lab 1Review Lab 2Review Lab 3
List of Figures
List of Tables
List of Listings

Content preview from Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Third Edition

Chapter 4. Running commands

When you start looking at PowerShell examples on the internet, it’s easy to get the impression that PowerShell is some kind of .NET Framework–based scripting or programming language. Our fellow Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award recipients, and hundreds of other PowerShell users, are pretty serious geeks who like to dig deep into the shell to see what we can make it do. But almost all of us began right where this chapter starts: running commands. That’s what you’ll be doing in this chapter: not scripting, not programming, but running commands and command-line utilities.

4.1. Not scripting, but running commands

PowerShell, as its name indicates, is a shell. It’s similar to the Cmd.exe command-line shell ...

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Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Third Edition

by Jeffery Hicks, Don Jones

Chapter 4. Running commands

4.1. Not scripting, but running commands

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