Ever since I found out about PowerShell’s extensible type system, I’ve been in love with it. The ability to add methods and properties to existing .NET types is just too cool. For example, I’ve added a CanPing() method to the String type. Whenever I have a variable containing an address:
[string]$computer = “Server2”
I can quickly see if it’s pingable …
Don Jones will be hosting a new series of monthly TechNet Webcasts, beginning December 19th. These Webcasts are free, although they do require advance registration in order to attend. Learn more about the first one, an “Overview of Windows PowerShell,” and register now.
Don’t forget that Don’s past VBScript-oriented Webcasts are still available for free as on-demand downloads …
The current podcast trivia from ScriptingAnswers.com’s podcast challenges you to come up with a one-word answer to five different trivia questions. Those five one-word answers combine to form a sixth trivia question which is related to scripting; answer that sixth question and win a major prize package from ScriptingAnswers.com and SAPIEN Technologies!
A new podcast episode will be online soon …
In an earlier post, I showed you how to make your scripts talk back. Well, you can also use the SAPI object to “speak” a wav file. Imagine having a script play a sound when it finishes a long query or process. This is pretty easy to do.
We’re pleased to announce several great pieces of news for Windows PowerShell: TFM, the first book on Windows PowerShell and the first print publication from SAPIEN Press:
Finally, the manuscript is complete! Once the last bits of graphic design for the cover are finished, we’ll be off to the presses.
The first official sample chapters (not “preview” chapters) …
PowerShell has an interesting cmdlet that lets you save a transcript of a PowerShell session. Every command you run and the resulting output can be recorded to a text file. This file can be used as a training aid, an audit trail, or as the source for rapid PowerShell script development.
I recently did a TipSheet column listing some of my favorite quick, one line commands. Reader Wayne was kind enough to share with me his list of oft-used one-liners which he graciously offered to share.
The SAPIEN Knowledge Base (http://www.sapien.com/support.asp) now includes content for Windows PowerShell. Over time, we’ll be adding references and tutorials for various cmdlets, along with other useful content. To access the Knowledge Base, go to the link above and click the Knowledge Base item. Then, select the Windows PowerShell category, or search for cmdlet tutorials by cmdlet name.
A few days ago I showed how to call an Open File dialog box. I promised to show you how to let a user specify a filename and path by browsing using the File dialog box. This is much better than using an input box, especially when you want to save the file to a specific folder where you don’t know the full path off the top of your head.
Working with Active Directory in PowerShell will require a bit of a paradigm shift for scripters used to working with ADSI in VBScript. But it’s not necessarily a bad thing. For example, in PowerShell it is very easy to find objects in Active Directory with a searcher object. Once you have the object reference, you can connect to it and work with its properties pretty much as you did in VBScript. Let me show you a PowerShell script that finds a user in Active Directory given its sAMAccountname and then lists the available properties.
© Copyright 2026 SAPIEN Technologies, Inc.
© Copyright 2026
SAPIEN Technologies, Inc.