Powershell script file extensions

The log filename is created from the current date. To create this script, open a text editor or a script editor, type these commands, and then save them in a file named ServiceLog. To define parameters in a script, use a Param statement. The Param statement must be the first statement in a script, except for comments and any Require statements. Script parameters work like function parameters.

The parameter values are available to all of the commands in the script. All of the features of function parameters, including the Parameter attribute and its named arguments, are also valid in scripts.

The following example shows a Test-Remote. Both of the script functions can access the ComputerName parameter value. Create a Help topic by using special keywords in the comments. To create comment-based Help for a script, the comments must be placed at the beginning or end of the script file. Create an XML-based Help topic, such as the type that is typically created for cmdlets.

XML-based Help is required if you are translating Help topics into multiple languages. To associate the script with the XML-based Help topic, use the. ExternalHelp Help comment keyword. By default, scripts do not return an exit status when the script ends. You must use the exit statement to return an exit code from a script. By default, the exit statement returns 0. You can provide a numeric value to return a different exit status. A nonzero exit code typically signals a failure.

A negative number in the range of -1 through is automatically translated into a positive number by adding For example, -2 is transformed to In the Windows Command Shell cmd. Any argument that is non-numeric or outside the platform-specific range is translated to the value of 0. Each script runs in its own scope. The functions, variables, aliases, and drives that are created in the script exist only in the script scope. You cannot access these items or their values in the scope in which the script runs.

To run a script in a different scope, you can specify a scope, such as Global or Local, or you can dot source the script. The dot sourcing feature lets you run a script in the current scope instead of in the script scope. When you run a script that is dot sourced, the commands in the script run as though you had typed them at the command prompt.

The functions, variables, aliases, and drives that the script creates are created in the scope in which you are working. After the script runs, you can use the created items and access their values in your session. Other common file types you may open in the Script Pane are configuration files. The Windows PowerShell execution policy determines whether you can run scripts and load Windows PowerShell profiles and configuration files.

The default execution policy, Restricted, prevents all scripts from running, and prevents loading profiles. On the toolbar, click New , or on the File menu, click New. The created file appears in a new file tab under the current PowerShell tab. Remember that the PowerShell tabs are only visible when there are more than one.

By default a file of type script. Multiple script files can be created in the same PowerShell tab. On the toolbar, click Open , or on the File menu, click Open. In the Open dialog box, select the file you want to open. The opened file appears in a new tab. Click the Close icon X of the file tab you want to close or select the File menu and click Close.

In reality it takes ages to become expert on a new IT system. The good news, at least for me, is that learning the new features is exciting and brings out my pioneer spirit. My pure scripting task is to list all files with a given extension in a particular directory tree.

My learning agenda for PowerShell is as follows: 1 To appreciate the rhythm of the PowerShell language. Verb-noun pairs. You need to have already installed a local copy of PowerShell RC2.

Note PowerShell RC2 is much changed from its predecessor, release candidate 1. Note 1. The rhythm of the command is: dot slash filename. Note 2. Note 1: Beginning a script with cls is one of my idiosyncrasies, it simply means clear the screen of any previous output. The hash symbol means a remark, or do not process this line. You have probably guessed the purpose of the -recurse switch, to drill down to the sub-folders.

Get-childitem is often abbreviated to its alias gci. Also observe that instead of the equals sign, PowerShell needs -eq. Most PowerShell scripts contain at least one pipe to control, or filter the output of the main command.