PowerShell in Depth, Second Edition

Chapter 16. Variables, arrays, hash tables, and script blocks

This chapter covers

• Variable names and types
• Strict mode
• Variable drives and cmdlets
• Arrays
• Hash tables
• Script blocks

Variables are a big part of any programming language or operating system shell, and PowerShell is no exception. In this chapter, we’ll explain what they are and how to use them, and we’ll cover some advanced variable-like data structures such as arrays, hash tables, and script blocks.

16.1. Variables

Variables are quite simply a temporary storage area for data. If you have some piece of data you plan to use over and over again, it makes sense to store it in a variable rather than having to retrieve it from where it’s stored each time you need it. Or if you ...