Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches: Covers Windows, Linux, and macOS

Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches
brief contents
contents
foreword
preface
acknowledgments
about this book
	Who should read this book
	About the code
	liveBook discussion forum
about the authors
Chapter 1: Before you begin
	1.1 Why you can no longer afford to ignore PowerShell
		1.1.1 Life without PowerShell
		1.1.2 Life with PowerShell
	1.2 Windows, Linux, and macOS, oh my
	1.3 Is this book for you?
	1.4 How to use this book
		1.4.1 The chapters
		1.4.2 Hands-on labs
		1.4.3 Supplementary materials
		1.4.4 Further exploration
		1.4.5 Above and beyond
	1.5 Setting up your lab environment
	1.6 Installing PowerShell
	1.7 Contacting us
	1.8 Being immediately effective with PowerShell
Chapter 2: Meet PowerShell
	2.1 PowerShell on Windows
	2.2 PowerShell on macOS
		2.2.1 Installation on macOS
	2.3 PowerShell on Linux (Ubuntu 18.04)
		2.3.1 Installation on Ubuntu 18.04
	2.4 Visual Studio Code and the PowerShell extension
		2.4.1 Installing Visual Studio Code and the PowerShell extension
		2.4.2 Getting familiar with Visual Studio Code
		2.4.3 Customizing Visual Studio Code and the PowerShell extension
	2.5 It’s typing class all over again
	2.6 What version is this?
	2.7 Lab
Chapter 3: Using the help system
	3.1 The help system: How you discover commands
	3.2 Updatable help
	3.3 Asking for help
	3.4 Using help to find commands
	3.5 Interpreting the help
		3.5.1 Parameter sets and common parameters
		3.5.2 Optional and mandatory parameters
		3.5.3 Positional parameters
		3.5.4 Parameter values
		3.5.5 Finding command examples
	3.6 Accessing “about” topics
	3.7 Accessing online help
	3.8 Lab
	3.9 Lab answers
Chapter 4: Running commands
	4.1 Let’s talk security
		4.1.1 Execution policy
	4.2 Not scripting, but running commands
	4.3 The anatomy of a command
	4.4 The cmdlet naming convention
	4.5 Aliases: Nicknames for commands
	4.6 Taking shortcuts
		4.6.1 Truncating parameter names
		4.6.2 Using parameter name aliases
		4.6.3 Using positional parameters
	4.7 Support for external commands
	4.8 Dealing with errors
	4.9 Common points of confusion
		4.9.1 Typing cmdlet names
		4.9.2 Typing parameters
	4.10 Lab
	4.11 Lab answers
Chapter 5: Working with providers
	5.1 What are providers?
	5.2 Understanding how the filesystem is organized
	5.3 Navigating the filesystem
	5.4 Using wildcards and literal paths
	5.5 Working with other providers
		5.5.1 Windows Registry
	5.6 Lab
	5.7 Lab answers
Chapter 6: The pipeline: Connecting commands
	6.1 Connecting one command to another: Less work for you
	6.2 Exporting to a file
		6.2.1 Exporting to CSV
		6.2.2 Exporting to JSON
		6.2.3 Exporting to XML
		6.2.4 Out-File
		6.2.5 Comparing files
	6.3 Piping to a file
	6.4 Converting to HTML
	6.5 Using cmdlets that modify the system: Killing processes
	6.6 Common points of confusion
	6.7 Lab
	6.8 Lab answers
Chapter 7: Adding commands
	7.1 How one shell can do everything
	7.2 Extensions: Finding and installing modules
	7.3 Extensions: Finding and adding modules
	7.4 Command conflicts and removing extensions
	7.5 Playing with a new module
	7.6 Common points of confusion
	7.7 Lab
	7.8 Lab answers
Chapter 8: Objects: Data by another name
	8.1 What are objects?
	8.2 Understanding why PowerShell uses objects
	8.3 Discovering objects: Get-Member
	8.4 Using object attributes, or properties
	8.5 Using object actions, or methods
	8.6 Sorting objects
	8.7 Selecting the properties you want
	8.8 Objects until the end
	8.9 Common points of confusion
	8.10 Lab
	8.11 Lab answers
Chapter 9: A practical interlude
	9.1 Defining the task
	9.2 Finding the commands
	9.3 Learning to use the commands
	9.4 Tips for teaching yourself
	9.5 Lab
	9.6 Lab answer
Chapter 10: The pipeline, deeper
	10.1 The pipeline: Enabling power with less typing
	10.2 How PowerShell passes data down the pipeline
	10.3 Plan A: Pipeline input ByValue
	10.4 Plan B: Pipeline input ByPropertyName
	10.5 When things don’t line up: Custom properties
	10.6 Working with Azure PowerShell
	10.7 Parenthetical commands
	10.8 Extracting the value from a single property
	10.9 Lab
	10.10 Lab answers
	10.11 Further exploration
Chapter 11: Formatting: And why it’s done on the right
	11.1 Formatting: Making what you see prettier
	11.2 Working with the default formatting
	11.3 Formatting tables
	11.4 Formatting lists
	11.5 Formatting wide lists
	11.6 Creating custom columns and list entries
	11.7 Going out: To a file or to the host
	11.8 Another out: GridViews
	11.9 Common points of confusion
		11.9.1 Always format right
		11.9.2 One type of object at a time, please
	11.10 Lab
	11.11 Lab answers
	11.12 Further exploration
Chapter 12: Filtering and comparisons
	12.1 Making the shell give you just what you need
	12.2 Filtering left
	12.3 Using comparison operators
	12.4 Filtering objects out of the pipeline
	12.5 Using the iterative command-line model
	12.6 Common points of confusion
		12.6.1 Filter left, please
		12.6.2 When $_ is allowed
	12.7 Lab
	12.8 Lab answers
	12.9 Further exploration
Chapter 13: Remote control: One-to-one and one-to-many
	13.1 The idea behind remote PowerShell
		13.1.1 Remoting on Windows devices
		13.1.2 Remoting on macOS and Linux devices
		13.1.3 Cross-platform remoting
	13.2 Setting up PSRP over SSH
		13.2.1 macOS and Linux
		13.2.2 Setting up SSH on Windows
	13.3 PSRP over SSH overview
	13.4 WinRM overview
	13.5 Using Enter-PSSession and Exit-PSSession for one-to-one remoting
	13.6 Using Invoke-ScriptBlock for one-to-many remoting
	13.7 Differences between remote and local commands
		13.7.1 Deserialized objects
		13.7.2 Local vs. remote processing
	13.8 But wait, there’s more
	13.9 Common points of confusion
	13.10 Lab
	13.11 Lab answers
	13.12 Further exploration
Chapter 14: Multitasking with background jobs
	14.1 Making PowerShell do multiple things at the same time
	14.2 Synchronous vs. asynchronous
	14.3 Creating a process job
	14.4 Creating a thread job
	14.5 Remoting, as a job
	14.6 Jobs in the wild
	14.7 Getting job results
	14.8 Working with child jobs
	14.9 Commands for managing jobs
	14.10 Common points of confusion
	14.11 Lab
	14.12 Lab answers
Chapter 15: Working with many objects, one at a time
	15.1 The preferred way: “Batch” cmdlets
	15.2 The CIM way: Invoking methods
	15.3 The backup plan: Enumerating objects
		15.3.1 Making the cmdlets work for you
	15.4 Let’s speed things up
	15.5 Common points of confusion
		15.5.1 Which way is the right way?
		15.5.2 Diminishing returns of Parallel ForEach
		15.5.3 Method documentation
		15.5.4 ForEach-Object confusion
	15.6 Lab
	15.7 Lab answers
Chapter 16: Variables: A place to store your stuff
	16.1 Introduction to variables
	16.2 Storing values in variables
	16.3 Using variables: Fun tricks with quotes
	16.4 Storing many objects in a variable
		16.4.1 Working with single objects in a variable
		16.4.2 Working with multiple objects in a variable
		16.4.3 Other ways to work with multiple objects
		16.4.4 Unrolling properties and methods in PowerShell
	16.5 More tricks with double quotes
	16.6 Declaring a variable’s type
	16.7 Commands for working with variables
	16.8 Variable best practices
	16.9 Common points of confusion
	16.10 Lab
	16.11 Lab answers
	16.12 Further exploration
Chapter 17: Input and output
	17.1 Prompting for, and displaying, information
	17.2 Read-Host
	17.3 Write-Host
	17.4 Write-Output
	17.5 Other ways to write
	17.6 Lab
	17.7 Lab answers
	17.8 Further exploration
Chapter 18: Sessions: Remote control with less work
	18.1 Creating and using reusable sessions
	18.2 Enter-PSSession with session objects
	18.3 Invoke-Command with session objects
	18.4 Implicit remoting: Importing a session
	18.5 Using disconnected sessions
	18.6 Lab
	18.7 Lab answers
	18.8 Further exploration
Chapter 19: You call this scripting?
	19.1 Not programming, more like batch files
	19.2 Making commands repeatable
	19.3 Parameterizing commands
	19.4 Creating a parameterized script
	19.5 Documenting your script
	19.6 One script, one pipeline
	19.7 A quick look at scope
	19.8 Lab
	19.9 Lab answer
Chapter 20: Improving your parameterized script
	20.1 Starting point
	20.2 Getting PowerShell to do the hard work
	20.3 Making parameters mandatory
	20.4 Adding parameter aliases
	20.5 Validating parameter input
	20.6 Adding the warm and fuzzies with verbose output
	20.7 Lab
	20.8 Lab answer
Chapter 21: Using regular expressions to parse text files
	21.1 The purpose of regular expressions
	21.2 A regex syntax primer
	21.3 Using regex with -Match
	21.4 Using regex with Select-String
	21.5 Lab
	21.6 Lab answers
	21.7 Further exploration
Chapter 22: Using someone else’s script
	22.1 The script
		22.1.1 Parameter block
		22.1.2 Process block
	22.2 It’s a line-by-line examination
	22.3 Lab
	22.4 Lab answer
Chapter 23: Adding logic and loops
	23.1 Foreach and Foreach-Object
		23.1.1 Foreach
		23.1.2 Foreach-Object
		23.1.3 Foreach-Object -Parallel
	23.2 While
	23.3 Do While
	23.4 Lab
	23.5 Lab answers
Chapter 24: Handling errors
	24.1 Understanding errors and exceptions
	24.2 Bad handling
	24.3 Two reasons for exception handling
	24.4 Handling exceptions
	24.5 Handling exceptions for noncommands
	24.6 Going further with exception handling
	24.7 Lab
	24.8 Lab answer
Chapter 25: Debugging techniques
	25.1 Output everything
	25.2 One line at a time
	25.3 Hey, script, stop right there . . . with breakpoints
	25.4 Lab
Chapter 26: Tips, tricks, and techniques
	26.1 Profiles, prompts, and colors: Customizing the shell
		26.1.1 PowerShell profiles
		26.1.2 Customizing the prompt
		26.1.3 Tweaking colors
	26.2 Operators: -as, -is, -replace, -join, -split, -contains, -in
		26.2.1 -as and -is
		26.2.2 -replace
		26.2.3 -join and -split
		26.2.4 -contains and -in
	26.3 String manipulation
	26.4 Date manipulation
	26.5 Dealing with WMI dates
	26.6 Setting default parameter values
	26.7 Playing with script blocks
	26.8 More tips, tricks, and techniques
Chapter 27: Never the end
	27.1 Ideas for further exploration
	27.2 “Now that I’ve read the book, where do I start?”
	27.3 Other resources you’ll grow to love
appendix: PowerShell cheat sheet
	A.1 Punctuation
	A.2 Help file
	A.3 Operators
	A.4 Custom property and column syntax
	A.5 Pipeline parameter input
	A.6 When to use $_
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