Microsoft 55039 - Windows PowerShell Scripting and Toolmaking

Course subjects

Module 1: Tool Design
This module explains how to design tools and units of automation that comply with native PowerShell usage patterns.

Lessons

• Tools do one thing

• Tools are flexible

• Tools look native

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Design a tool

Module 2: Start with a Command
This module explains how to start the scripting process by beginning in the interactive shell console.

Lessons

• Why start with a command?

• Discovery and experimentation

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Start with a command

Module 3: Build a Basic Function and Module
This module explains how to build a basic function and module, using commands already experimented with in the shell.

Lessons

• Start with a basic function

• Create a script module

• Check prerequisites

• Run the new command

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Build a basic function and module

Module 4: Adding CmdletBinding and Parameterising
This module explains how to extend the functionality of a tool, parameterise input values, and use CmdletBinding.

Lessons

• About CmdletBinding and common parameters

• Accepting pipeline input

• Mandatory-ness

• Parameter validation

• Parmeter aliases

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Adding CmdletBinding and Parameterising

Module 5: Emitting Objects as Output
This module explains how to create tools that produce custom objects as output.

Lessons

• Assembling information

• Constructing and emitting output

• Quick tests

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Emitting objects as output

Module 6: An Interlude: Changing Your Approach
This module explains how to re-think tool design, using concrete examples of how it’s often done wrong.

Lessons

• Examining a script

• Critiquing a script

• Revising the script

Module 7: Using Verbose, Warning, and Informational Output
This module explains how to use additional output pipelines for better script behaviors.

Lessons

• Knowing the six channels

• Adding verbose and warning output

• Doing more with verbose output

• Informational output

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Using Verbose, Warning, and Informational Output

Module 8: Comment-Based Help
This module explains how to add comment-based help to tools.

Lessons

• Where to put your help

• Getting started

• Going further with comment-based help

• Broken help

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Comment-based help

Module 9: Handling Errors
This module explains how to create tools that deal with anticipated errors.

Lessons

• Understanding errors and exceptions

• Bad handling

• Two reasons for exception handling

• Handling exceptions in our tool

• Capturing the actual exception

• Handling exceptions for non-commands

• Going further with exception handling

• Deprecated exception handling

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Handling errors

Module 10: Basic Debugging
This module explains how to use native PowerShell script debugging tools.

Lessons

• Two kinds of bugs

• The ultimate goal of debugging

• Developing assumptions

• Write-Debug

• Set-PSBreakpoint

• The PowerShell ISE

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Basic debugging

Module 11: Going Deeper with Parameters
This module explains how to further define parameter attributes in a PowerShell command.

Lessons

• Parameter positions

• Validation

• Multiple parameter sets

• Value from remaining arguments

• Help messages

• Aliases

• More CmdletBinding

Module 12: Writing Full Help
This module explains how to create external help for a command.

Lessons

• External help

• Using PlatyPs

• Supporting online help

• “About” topics

• Making your help updatable

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Writing full help

Module 13: Unit Testing Your Code
This module explains how to use Pester to perform basic unit testing.

Lessons

• Sketching out the test

• Making something to test

• Expanding the test

• Going further with Pester

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Unit testing your code

Module 14: Extending Output Types
This module explains how to extend objects with additional capabilities.

Lessons

• Understanding types

• The Extensible Type System

• Extending an object

• Using Update-TypeData

Module 15: Analysing Your Script
This module explains how to use Script Analyser to support best practices and prevent common problems.

Lessons

• Performing a basic analysis

• Analysing the analysis

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Analysing your script

Module 16: Publishing Your Tools
This module explains how to publish tools to public and private repositories.

Lessons

• Begin with a manifest

• Publishing to PowerShell Gallery

• Publishing to private repositories

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Publishing your tools

Module 17: Basic Controllers: Automation Scripts and Menus
This module explains how to create controller scripts that put tools to use.

Lessons

• Building a menu

• Using UIChoice

• Writing a process controller

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Basic controllers

Module 18: Proxy Functions
This module explains how to create and use proxy functions.

Lessons

• A proxy example

• Creating the proxy base

• Modifying the proxy

• Adding or removing parameters

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Proxy functions

Module 19: Working with XML Data
This module explains how to work with XML data in PowerShell.

Lessons

• Simple: CliXML

• Importing native XML

• ConvertTo-XML

• Creating native XML from scratch

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Working with XML

Module 20: Working with JSON Data
This module explains how to using JSON data in PowerShell.

Lessons

• Converting to JSON

• Converting from JSON

Lab 1: Designing a Tool

• Working with JSON data

Module 21: Working with SQL Server Data
This module explains how to use SQL Server from within a PowerShell script.

Lessons

• SQL Server terminology and facts

• Connecting to the server and database

• Writing a query

• Running a query

• Invoke-SqlCmd

• Thinking about tool design patterns

Module 22: Final Exam

This module provides a chance for students to use everything they have learned in this course within a practical example.

Lessons

• Lab problem

• Break down the problem

• Do the design

• Test the commands

• Code the tool

Lab 1: Final Exam

• Lab one

Lab 2: Final Exam

• Lab two