posts-powershell

PowerShell 3.0 can run both on .NET Framework 4.0 and 4.5. .NET Framework 4.5 adds additional objects and members, so for example this line will...

With a bit of creativity (and the help from the -as operator), you can create powerful test functions. These two test for valid numbers and valid...

Ever wondered what the difference between [Int], [Int32], and [System.Int32] is? They all are data types, and the first two are type accelerators,...

In PowerShell 3.0, you finally can extend object types dynamically without having to write and import ps1xml-files. Here is an especially useful...

The internal PowerShell formatting system (called ETS) relies on XML-based formatting data that comes from .ps1xml files. To see all files currently...

Let's say you want to output just your top-level processes like this: PS> Get-Process | Where-Object { $_.MainWindowTitle } | Select-Object...

PowerShell is based on .NET objects but often refines them by adding more. If you'd like to see just what PowerShell has added, use Get-Member...

Only a few properties in WMI objects are actually writeable although Get-Member insists they are all "Get/Set": PS> Get-WmiObject...

Here's a piece of code for you to wrap your head around: 1..10 | ForEach-Object { trap { Write-Host "Phew: $_"

The PowerShell 3.0 ISE editor has a simple debugger built-in that supports line breakpoints. Simply press F9 to set a breakpoint (which only works...

Did you know that every PowerShell function can be turned into a script module with just one line of code? To test drive this, open the ISE editor...

PowerShell 3.0 comes with a great new cmdlet: Invoke-WebRequest! You can use it for a zillion things, but it can also simply retrieve the content of...

If you'd have to process a long list of encoded information, let's say a list of hexadecimal values, how would you split the list into pairs...

Typically when you split a text using the -split operator or the Split() method, the split character is removed from the text: $profile -split...

Cutting off a part of a text at its beginning is easy. This line eats the first 3 characters: PS> 'C:\folder\file.txt'.SubString(3)...

Comparison operators usually return either $true or $false, but when applied to an array, return the array elements that match the comparison. You...

Often, it is necessary to output numbers, but you may want to control the number of digits and would like to control the formatting. The -f operator...

Here's a little function called Out-ExcelReport. Just pipe anything to it, and it will open in Microsoft Excel - provided it is installed on...

When you type in code into the new PowerShell 3.0 ISE editor, your code is not just "colorful". You may know that each color stands for a specific...

When you get yourself a process using Get-Process, what you get back is an object that has useful methods and writeable properties. This line will...

Sometimes, a script may want to execute some portion of its code elevated, for example to write to HKLM in the Registry or change protected...

PowerShell caters all tastes which is why the next two lines do the exact same thing and get all JPG pictures from your Windows folder: PS>...

In PowerShell 3.0, there is a cool new cmdlet called Show-Command: PS> Show-Command Get-Process It works both in the console and the ISE editor,...

The ISE editor in PowerShell 3.0 seems to have an interactive console, but it really isn't. It is just a simulated console. So any command that...

If you'd like to enter long lines of code into the console panel in the new PowerShell 3.0 ISE, you can press SHIFT+ENTER. This will add a line...

To protect you from damages while playing with PowerShell on a productive system, set the ”WhatIf” mode as default:...

Sometimes it becomes necessary to consolidate two or more objects into one. So, how would you combine object properties into one object? In a...

As you may have read, in PowerShell 3.0, there is a new family of cmdlets designed to improve the way we work with WMI. The powerful Get-WmiObject...

In PowerShell 3.0, Measure-Object can be applied not just to numeric data but to anything that is comparable. In PowerShell 2.0, this line would...

In a previous tip we explained that in PowerShell 3.0, every object has a Count property now. This even includes null values: PS> $null.Count 0...