What tools and languages are available for windows shell scripting?

Question

I want to know what are the options to do some scripting jobs in windows platform. I need functionality like file manipulations, registry editing etc. Can files be edited using

Answer 1

Scripting is a blast.

Personally I like to write some evil little batch files. You can find a command line program to do just about anything. I prefer Batch files mostly because they are portable from one machine to another with at most a zip with a few unix tools (SSED, GREP, GAWK). there is a commandline REG.Exe that can even do Registry changes and reads. You can parse output from commands with a "FOR /f" loop.

PowerShell does have more... err.. Power (2nd post I wrote that in, but I can't help it.)

If you want to look at windows automation check out AutoHotKey.

What are you trying to automate? That may help us narrow down what would be helpfull.

• Josh

EDIT: for the record I typed that at the same time as @jameso If someone at work hadn't asked me a question, I may have posted before him. I did get a bit of a shiver at the similarity of the post though....