Windows PowerShell Cookbook, 2nd Edition

The Complete Guide to Scripting Microsoft's New Command Shell

Larger Cover

The Complete Guide to Scripting Microsoft's New Command Shell

By Lee Holmes

Publisher: O'Reilly Media

Released: August 2010

Pages: 888

Tour
1. A Guided Tour of Windows PowerShell
  1. Introduction
  2. An Interactive Shell
  3. Structured Commands (Cmdlets)
  4. Deep Integration of Objects
  5. Administrators as First-Class Users
  6. Composable Commands
  7. Techniques to Protect You from Yourself
  8. Common Discovery Commands
  9. Ubiquitous Scripting
  10. Ad Hoc Development
  11. Bridging Technologies
  12. Namespace Navigation Through Providers
  13. Much, Much More
Fundamentals
1. Chapter 1 The Windows PowerShell Interactive Shell
  1. Introduction
  2. Run Programs, Scripts, and Existing Tools
  3. Resolve Errors Calling Native Executables
  4. Run a PowerShell Command
  5. Invoke a Long-Running or Background Command
  6. Notify Yourself of Job Completion
  7. Customize Your Shell, Profile, and Prompt
  8. Find a Command to Accomplish a Task
  9. Get Help on a Command
  10. Program: Search Help for Text
  11. Program: View PowerShell’s HTML Help
  12. Launch PowerShell at a Specific Location
  13. Invoke a PowerShell Command or Script from Outside PowerShell
  14. Customize the Shell to Improve Your Productivity
  15. Program: Learn Aliases for Common Commands
  16. Program: Learn Aliases for Common Parameters
  17. Access and Manage Your Console History
  18. Program: Create Scripts from Session History
  19. Invoke a Command from Your Session History
  20. Program: Search Formatted Output for a Pattern
  21. Interactively View and Process Command Output
  22. Store the Output of a Command into a File
  23. Add Information to the End of a File
  24. Record a Transcript of Your Shell Session
  25. Extend Your Shell with Additional Commands
  26. Use Commands from Customized Shells
  27. Save State Between Sessions
2. Chapter 2 Pipelines
  1. Introduction
  2. Filter Items in a List or Command Output
  3. Group and Pivot Data by Name
  4. Program: Simplify Most Where-Object Filters
  5. Program: Interactively Filter Lists of Objects
  6. Work with Each Item in a List or Command Output
  7. Automate Data-Intensive Tasks
  8. Program: Simplify Most Foreach-Object Pipelines
  9. Intercept Stages of the Pipeline
  10. Automatically Capture Pipeline Output
  11. Capture and Redirect Binary Process Output
3. Chapter 3 Variables and Objects
  1. Introduction
  2. Display the Properties of an Item as a List
  3. Display the Properties of an Item as a Table
  4. Store Information in Variables
  5. Access Environment Variables
  6. Program: Retain Changes to Environment Variables Set by a Batch File
  7. Control Access and Scope of Variables and Other Items
  8. Program: Create a Dynamic Variable
  9. Work with .NET Objects
  10. Create an Instance of a .NET Object
  11. Program: Create Instances of Generic Objects
  12. Reduce Typing for Long Class Names
  13. Use a COM Object
  14. Learn About Types and Objects
  15. Get Detailed Documentation About Types and Objects
  16. Add Custom Methods and Properties to Objects
  17. Create and Initialize Custom Objects
  18. Add Custom Methods and Properties to Types
4. Chapter 4 Looping and Flow Control
  1. Introduction
  2. Make Decisions with Comparison and Logical Operators
  3. Adjust Script Flow Using Conditional Statements
  4. Manage Large Conditional Statements with Switches
  5. Repeat Operations with Loops
  6. Add a Pause or Delay
5. Chapter 5 Strings and Unstructured Text
  1. Introduction
  2. Create a String
  3. Create a Multiline or Formatted String
  4. Place Special Characters in a String
  5. Insert Dynamic Information in a String
  6. Prevent a String from Including Dynamic Information
  7. Place Formatted Information in a String
  8. Search a String for Text or a Pattern
  9. Replace Text in a String
  10. Split a String on Text or a Pattern
  11. Combine Strings into a Larger String
  12. Convert a String to Upper/Lowercase
  13. Trim a String
  14. Format a Date for Output
  15. Program: Convert Text Streams to Objects
  16. Generate Large Reports and Text Streams
  17. Generate Source Code and Other Repetitive Text
6. Chapter 6 Calculations and Math
  1. Introduction
  2. Perform Simple Arithmetic
  3. Perform Complex Arithmetic
  4. Measure Statistical Properties of a List
  5. Work with Numbers as Binary
  6. Simplify Math with Administrative Constants
  7. Convert Numbers Between Bases
7. Chapter 7 Lists, Arrays, and Hashtables
  1. Introduction
  2. Create an Array or List of Items
  3. Create a Jagged or Multidimensional Array
  4. Access Elements of an Array
  5. Visit Each Element of an Array
  6. Sort an Array or List of Items
  7. Determine Whether an Array Contains an Item
  8. Combine Two Arrays
  9. Find Items in an Array That Match a Value
  10. Compare Two Lists
  11. Remove Elements from an Array
  12. Find Items in an Array Greater or Less Than a Value
  13. Use the ArrayList Class for Advanced Array Tasks
  14. Create a Hashtable or Associative Array
  15. Sort a Hashtable by Key or Value
8. Chapter 8 Utility Tasks
  1. Introduction
  2. Get the System Date and Time
  3. Measure the Duration of a Command
  4. Read and Write from the Windows Clipboard
  5. Generate a Random Number or Object
  6. Program: Search the Windows Start Menu
  7. Program: Show Colorized Script Content
Common Tasks
1. Chapter 9 Simple Files
  1. Introduction
  2. Get the Content of a File
  3. Search a File for Text or a Pattern
  4. Parse and Manage Text-Based Logfiles
  5. Parse and Manage Binary Files
  6. Create a Temporary File
  7. Search and Replace Text in a File
  8. Program: Get the Encoding of a File
  9. Program: View the Hexadecimal Representation of Content
2. Chapter 10 Structured Files
  1. Introduction
  2. Access Information in an XML File
  3. Perform an XPath Query Against XML
  4. Convert Objects to XML
  5. Modify Data in an XML File
  6. Easily Import and Export Your Structured Data
  7. Store the Output of a Command in a CSV or Delimited File
  8. Import CSV and Delimited Data from a File
  9. Use Excel to Manage Command Output
  10. Parse and Interpret PowerShell Scripts
3. Chapter 11 Code Reuse
  1. Introduction
  2. Write a Script
  3. Write a Function
  4. Find a Verb Appropriate for a Command Name
  5. Write a Script Block
  6. Return Data from a Script, Function, or Script Block
  7. Package Common Commands in a Module
  8. Write Commands That Maintain State
  9. Selectively Export Commands from a Module
  10. Diagnose and Interact with Internal Module State
  11. Handle Cleanup Tasks When a Module Is Removed
  12. Access Arguments of a Script, Function, or Script Block
  13. Add Validation to Parameters
  14. Accept Script Block Parameters with Local Variables
  15. Dynamically Compose Command Parameters
  16. Provide -WhatIf, -Confirm, and Other Cmdlet Features
  17. Add Help to Scripts or Functions
  18. Add Custom Tags to a Function or Script Block
  19. Access Pipeline Input
  20. Write Pipeline-Oriented Scripts with Cmdlet Keywords
  21. Write a Pipeline-Oriented Function
  22. Organize Scripts for Improved Readability
  23. Invoke Dynamically Named Commands
  24. Program: Enhance or Extend an Existing Cmdlet
4. Chapter 12 Internet-Enabled Scripts
  1. Introduction
  2. Download a File from the Internet
  3. Download a Web Page from the Internet
  4. Program: Get-PageUrls
  5. Connect to a Web Service
  6. Program: Connect-WebService
  7. Export Command Output as a Web Page
  8. Send an Email
  9. Program: Send-MailMessage
  10. Program: Interact with Internet Protocols
5. Chapter 13 User Interaction
  1. Introduction
  2. Read a Line of User Input
  3. Read a Key of User Input
  4. Program: Display a Menu to the User
  5. Display Messages and Output to the User
  6. Provide Progress Updates on Long-Running Tasks
  7. Write Culture-Aware Scripts
  8. Support Other Languages in Script Output
  9. Program: Invoke a Script Block with Alternate Culture Settings
  10. Access Features of the Host’s User Interface
  11. Program: Add a Graphical User Interface to Your Script
  12. Interact with UI Frameworks and STA Objects
6. Chapter 14 Debugging
  1. Introduction
  2. Prevent Common Scripting Errors
  3. Trace Script Execution
  4. Set a Script Breakpoint
  5. Debug a Script When It Encounters an Error
  6. Create a Conditional Breakpoint
  7. Investigate System State While Debugging
  8. Program: Watch an Expression for Changes
  9. Program: Get Script Code Coverage
7. Chapter 15 Tracing and Error Management
  1. Introduction
  2. Determine the Status of the Last Command
  3. View the Errors Generated by a Command
  4. Manage the Error Output of Commands
  5. Program: Resolve an Error
  6. Configure Debug, Verbose, and Progress Output
  7. Handle Warnings, Errors, and Terminating Errors
  8. Output Warnings, Errors, and Terminating Errors
  9. Program: Analyze a Script’s Performance Profile
8. Chapter 16 Environmental Awareness
  1. Introduction
  2. View and Modify Environment Variables
  3. Access Information About Your Command’s Invocation
  4. Program: Investigate the InvocationInfo Variable
  5. Find Your Script’s Name
  6. Find Your Script’s Location
  7. Find the Location of Common System Paths
  8. Get the Current Location
  9. Safely Build File Paths Out of Their Components
  10. Interact with PowerShell’s Global Environment
  11. Determine PowerShell Version Information
9. Chapter 17 Extend the Reach of Windows PowerShell
  1. Introduction
  2. Automate Programs Using COM Scripting Interfaces
  3. Program: Query a SQL Data Source
  4. Access Windows Performance Counters
  5. Access Windows API Functions
  6. Program: Invoke Simple Windows API Calls
  7. Define or Extend a .NET Class
  8. Add Inline C# to Your PowerShell Script
  9. Access a .NET SDK Library
  10. Create Your Own PowerShell Cmdlet
  11. Add PowerShell Scripting to Your Own Program
10. Chapter 18 Security and Script Signing
  1. Introduction
  2. Enable Scripting Through an Execution Policy
  3. Disable Warnings for UNC Paths
  4. Sign a PowerShell Script, Module, or Formatting File
  5. Program: Create a Self-Signed Certificate
  6. Manage PowerShell Security in an Enterprise
  7. Block Scripts by Publisher, Path, or Hash
  8. Verify the Digital Signature of a PowerShell Script
  9. Securely Handle Sensitive Information
  10. Securely Request Usernames and Passwords
  11. Program: Start a Process as Another User
  12. Program: Run a Temporarily Elevated Command
  13. Securely Store Credentials on Disk
  14. Access User and Machine Certificates
  15. Program: Search the Certificate Store
  16. Add and Remove Certificates
  17. Manage Security Descriptors in SDDL Form
11. Chapter 19 Integrated Scripting Environment
  1. Introduction
  2. Debug a Script
  3. Customize Text and User Interface Colors
  4. Connect to a Remote Computer
  5. Extend ISE Functionality Through Its Object Model
  6. Add an Item to the Tools Menu
Administrator Tasks
1. Chapter 20 Files and Directories
  1. Introduction
  2. Determine the Current Location
  3. Get the Files in a Directory
  4. Find All Files Modified Before a Certain Date
  5. Clear the Content of a File
  6. Manage and Change the Attributes of a File
  7. Find Files That Match a Pattern
  8. Manage Files That Include Special Characters
  9. Program: Get Disk Usage Information
  10. Monitor a File for Changes
  11. Get the Version of a DLL or Executable
  12. Program: Get the MD5 or SHA1 Hash of a File
  13. Create a Directory
  14. Remove a File or Directory
  15. Rename a File or Directory
  16. Move a File or Directory
  17. Program: Move or Remove a Locked File
  18. Get the ACL of a File or Directory
  19. Set the ACL of a File or Directory
  20. Program: Add Extended File Properties to Files
  21. Program: Create a Filesystem Hard Link
  22. Program: Create a ZIP Archive
2. Chapter 21 The Windows Registry
  1. Introduction
  2. Navigate the Registry
  3. View a Registry Key
  4. Modify or Remove a Registry Key Value
  5. Create a Registry Key Value
  6. Remove a Registry Key
  7. Safely Combine Related Registry Modifications
  8. Add a Site to an Internet Explorer Security Zone
  9. Modify Internet Explorer Settings
  10. Program: Search the Windows Registry
  11. Get the ACL of a Registry Key
  12. Set the ACL of a Registry Key
  13. Work with the Registry of a Remote Computer
  14. Program: Get Registry Items from Remote Machines
  15. Program: Get Properties of Remote Registry Keys
  16. Program: Set Properties of Remote Registry Keys
  17. Discover Registry Settings for Programs
3. Chapter 22 Comparing Data
  1. Introduction
  2. Compare the Output of Two Commands
  3. Determine the Differences Between Two Files
  4. Verify Integrity of File Sets
4. Chapter 23 Event Logs
  1. Introduction
  2. List All Event Logs
  3. Get the Newest Entries from an Event Log
  4. Find Event Log Entries with Specific Text
  5. Retrieve and Filter Event Log Entries
  6. Find Event Log Entries by Their Frequency
  7. Back Up an Event Log
  8. Create or Remove an Event Log
  9. Write to an Event Log
  10. Run a PowerShell Script for Windows Event Log Entries
  11. Clear or Maintain an Event Log
  12. Access Event Logs of a Remote Machine
5. Chapter 24 Processes
  1. Introduction
  2. List Currently Running Processes
  3. Launch the Application Associated with a Document
  4. Launch a Process
  5. Stop a Process
  6. Debug a Process
6. Chapter 25 System Services
  1. Introduction
  2. List All Running Services
  3. Manage a Running Service
  4. Configure a Service
7. Chapter 26 Active Directory
  1. Introduction
  2. Test Active Directory Scripts on a Local Installation
  3. Create an Organizational Unit
  4. Get the Properties of an Organizational Unit
  5. Modify Properties of an Organizational Unit
  6. Delete an Organizational Unit
  7. Get the Children of an Active Directory Container
  8. Create a User Account
  9. Program: Import Users in Bulk to Active Directory
  10. Search for a User Account
  11. Get and List the Properties of a User Account
  12. Modify Properties of a User Account
  13. Change a User Password
  14. Create a Security or Distribution Group
  15. Search for a Security or Distribution Group
  16. Get the Properties of a Group
  17. Find the Owner of a Group
  18. Modify Properties of a Security or Distribution Group
  19. Add a User to a Security or Distribution Group
  20. Remove a User from a Security or Distribution Group
  21. List a User’s Group Membership
  22. List the Members of a Group
  23. List the Users in an Organizational Unit
  24. Search for a Computer Account
  25. Get and List the Properties of a Computer Account
8. Chapter 27 Enterprise Computer Management
  1. Introduction
  2. Join a Computer to a Domain or Workgroup
  3. Remove a Computer from a Domain
  4. Program: List Logon or Logoff Scripts for a User
  5. Program: List Startup or Shutdown Scripts for a Machine
  6. Deploy PowerShell-Based Logon Scripts
  7. Enable or Disable the Windows Firewall
  8. Open or Close Ports in the Windows Firewall
  9. Program: List All Installed Software
  10. Uninstall an Application
  11. Manage Computer Restore Points
  12. Reboot or Shut Down a Computer
  13. Determine Whether a Hotfix Is Installed
  14. Manage Scheduled Tasks on a Computer
  15. Retrieve Printer Information
  16. Retrieve Printer Queue Statistics
  17. Manage Printers and Print Queues
  18. Program: Summarize System Information
  19. Renew a DHCP Lease
  20. Assign a Static IP Address
  21. List All IP Addresses for a Computer
  22. List Network Adapter Properties
9. Chapter 28 Windows Management Instrumentation
  1. Introduction
  2. Access Windows Management Instrumentation Data
  3. Modify the Properties of a WMI Instance
  4. Invoke a Method on a WMI Class
  5. Program: Determine Properties Available to WMI Filters
  6. Program: Search for WMI Classes
  7. Use .NET to Perform Advanced WMI Tasks
  8. Improve the Performance of Large-Scale WMI Operations
  9. Convert a VBScript WMI Script to PowerShell
10. Chapter 29 Remoting
  1. Introduction
  2. Find Commands That Support Their Own Remoting
  3. Program: Invoke a PowerShell Expression on a Remote Machine
  4. Test Connectivity Between Two Computers
  5. Limit Networking Scripts to Hosts That Respond
  6. Enable PowerShell Remoting on a Computer
  7. Enable Remote Desktop on a Computer
  8. Program: Remotely Enable PowerShell Remoting
  9. Configure User Permissions for Remoting
  10. Enable Remoting to Workgroup Computers
  11. Interactively Manage a Remote Computer
  12. Invoke a Command on a Remote Computer
  13. Implicitly Invoke Commands from a Remote Computer
  14. Create Sessions with Full Network Access
  15. Pass Variables to Remote Sessions
  16. Configure Advanced Remoting Options
  17. Invoke a Command on Many Computers
  18. Run a Local Script on a Remote Computer
  19. Program: Transfer a File to a Remote Computer
  20. Determine Whether a Script Is Running on a Remote Computer
  21. Program: Create a Task-Specific Remoting Endpoint
11. Chapter 30 Transactions
  1. Introduction
  2. Safely Experiment with Transactions
  3. Change Error Recovery Behavior in Transactions
12. Chapter 31 Event Handling
  1. Introduction
  2. Respond to Automatically Generated Events
  3. Create and Respond to Custom Events
  4. Create a Temporary Event Subscription
  5. Forward Events from a Remote Computer
  6. Investigate Internal Event Action State
  7. Use a Script Block as a .NET Delegate or Event Handler
References
1. Appendix PowerShell Language and Environment
  1. Commands and Expressions
  2. Comments
  3. Variables
  4. Booleans
  5. Strings
  6. Numbers
  7. Arrays and Lists
  8. Hashtables (Associative Arrays)
  9. XML
  10. Simple Operators
  11. Comparison Operators
  12. Conditional Statements
  13. Looping Statements
  14. Working with the .NET Framework
  15. Writing Scripts, Reusing Functionality
  16. Managing Errors
  17. Formatting Output
  18. Capturing Output
  19. Common Customization Points
2. Appendix Regular Expression Reference
3. Appendix XPath Quick Reference
4. Appendix .NET String Formatting
  1. String Formatting Syntax
  2. Standard Numeric Format Strings
  3. Custom Numeric Format Strings
5. Appendix .NET DateTime Formatting
  1. Custom DateTime Format Strings
6. Appendix Selected .NET Classes and Their Uses
7. Appendix WMI Reference
8. Appendix Selected COM Objects and Their Uses
9. Appendix Selected Events and Their Uses
10. Appendix Standard PowerShell Verbs

Colophon

Title:

Windows PowerShell Cookbook, 2nd Edition

By:

Lee Holmes

Publisher:

O'Reilly Media

Formats:

Print
Ebook
Safari Books Online

Print:

August 2010

Ebook:

August 2010

Pages:

888

Print ISBN:

978-0-596-80150-2

| ISBN 10:

0-596-80150-5

Ebook ISBN:

978-1-4493-9240-6

| ISBN 10:

1-4493-9240-7

Colophon

The animal on the cover of Windows PowerShell Cookbook, Second Edition, is a box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina). This box turtle is native to North America, specifically northern parts of the United States and Mexico. The male turtle averages about six inches long and has red eyes; the female is a bit smaller and has yellow eyes. This turtle is omnivorous as a youth but largely herbivorous as an adult. It has a domed shell that is hinged on the bottom and which snaps tightly shut if the turtle is in danger. Box turtles usually stay within the area in which they were born, rarely leaving a 750 foot radius. When mating, male turtles sometimes shove and push one another to win a female's attention. During copulation, it is possible for the male turtle to fall backward, be unable to right himself, and starve to death.

Although box turtles can live for more than 100 years, their habitats are seriously threatened by land development and roads. Turtles need loose, moist soil in which to lay eggs and burrow during their long hibernation season. Experts strongly discourage taking turtles from their native habitats--not only will it disrupt the community's breeding opportunities, but turtles become extremely stressed outside of their known habitats and may perish quickly.

The cover image is from Dover Pictorial Images. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont's TheSansMonoCondensed.

Description

Table of Contents

Product Details

About the Author

Colophon