How to get started with PowerShell? [closed]

Answer 1

For learning PowerShell, there are a number of great resources

1. Technet Virtual Labs (Introduction to Windows PowerShell)
2. PowerShellCommunity.org - Forums, blogs, script repository

3. powershell on irc.freenode.net

4. PowerShell podcasts - PowerScripting.net and Get-Scripting.blogspot.com

For IDE style environments, you have PowerShell Analyzer (free) and PowerGUI (free), PowerShell Plus (commercial), PrimalScript (commercial), and Admin Script Editor (commerical).

I use PowerShell for everything that I can. Right now, I'm looking at Psake, a PowerShell based build script environment. I use if for managing my Active Directory, Hyper-V, Twitter, some keyboard automation (hosting PowerShell in a winforms app to grab keystrokes), and a ton of other stuff. Another cool project I have to check out is PSExpect for testing. I also use it for database access - monitoring changes made to rows in a database by applications. It is also integrated in to my network monitoring solution.

I am also looking to use PowerShell as a scripting engine for a project I am working on.

EDIT: If you are just learning PowerShell, I would focus on V1. As you get more comfortable, take a look at the CTP, but too much can change from the CTP to what is actually released as V2 to make that your learning tool. Version 2 is out and available from XP SP3, Server 2003, Vista, and Server 2008 and in the box for Win7 and Server 2008 R2. What you learned for V1 will still serve you well, but now I would concentrate on V2, as there is a superior feature set.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Count me in with a vote for PowerShell in Action. There are a bunch of blogs out there as well, check out //\O//'s blog, The Huddled Masses, and JB's Powershell (SQL) as well, they go way back with the shell and have gobs of good scripts & snippets to look at.

Answer 3

Check PowerGUI, a PowerShell GUI and script editor. I don't use it yet, but I saw the sample videos and looks very good. Also, the site mantains a library with sample scripts.

Here is another excellent PowerShell reference.

Answer 4

With regard to the IDE question:

There is a rudimentary IDE which, on my computer at least, is already installed with PowerShell.

It's labeled "WindowsPowerShell ISE", and lets you do things like have several console sessions and several script files open simultaneously... one set of tabs for the scripts, one set for the console sessions, so you can click back and forth as needed.

Answer 5

There are a number of PowerShell tools, for example,

• PowerGUI

• PowerShell Plus (not free)

• PowerShell in Action is a well-regarded book.

And the Powershell team has a blog.

Answer 6

I just found this free ebook, linked from the Windows PowerShell blog:

Mastering PowerShell