Learn PowerShell Toolmaking in a Month of Lunches

About this Book

You don't have to be a software developer to build PowerShell tools. With this book, a PowerShell user is a step away from becoming a proficient toolmaker.

Learn PowerShell Toolmaking in a Month of Lunches is the best way to learn PowerShell scripting and toolmaking in just one hour a day. It's packed with hands-on labs to reinforce what you're learning. It's an easy-to-follow guide that covers core scripting concepts using four practical examples. Each chapter builds on the previous one as you add custom formatting, error handling, input validation, help files and documentation and more.

Purchase of the print book comes with an offer of a free PDF, ePub, and Kindle eBook from Manning. Also available is all code from the book.

What's Inside
Build your own administrative tools
Learn by doing with hands-on labs
Make scripts that feel like native PowerShell cmdlets

This book does not assume you are a programmer. Experience using PowerShell as a command-line interface is helpful but not required.

About the Authors

Don Jones is a PowerShell MVP, speaker, and trainer. Jeffery Hicks is a PowerShell MVP and an independent consultant, trainer, and author. Don and Jeff coauthored Learn Windows PowerShell 3 in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition (Manning 2012) and PowerShell in Depth (Manning 2013).

Table of Contents
PART 1 INTRODUCTION TO TOOLMAKING
Before you begin
PowerShell scripting overview
PowerShell's scripting language
Simple scripts and functions
Scope
PART 2 BUILDING AN INVENTORY TOOL
Tool design guidelines
Advanced functions, part 1
Advanced functions, part 2
Writing help
Error handling
Debugging techniques
Creating custom format views
Script and manifest modules
Adding database access
Interlude: creating a new tool 157
PART 3 ADVANCED TOOLMAKING TECHNIQUES
Making tools that make changes

Creating a custom type extension

Creating PowerShell workflows

Troubleshooting pipeline input

Using object hierarchies for complex output
Globalizing a function
Crossing the line: utilizing the .NET Framework
PART 4 CREATING TOOLS FOR DELEGATED ADMINISTRATION
Creating a GUI tool, part 1: the GUI
Creating a GUI tool, part 2: the code
Creating a GUI tool, part 3: the output
Creating proxy functions
Setting up constrained removing endpoints
Never the end