Windows PowerShell Best Practices Review

Do you remember the good old days when you could work in DOS? The command line that was used before Microsoft gave a GUI in Windows, which stands for Graphical User Interface. Now, technically, PowerShell doesn’t really seem to have much in common with DOS. Yet it too uses the command line, although it’s now called cmd. It seems to me as if the cmdlets, or scripts are pretty much like bat files from the good old DOS days.

According to webopedia, a script is another term for a macro or batch file. I don’t know about you, but most people who are used to the command line is well versed in the use of batch files. Here is their definition in its entirety:

“Another term for macro or batch file, a script is a list of commands that can be executed without user interaction. A script language is a simple programming language with which you can write scripts.” (Reproduced with permission.
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Yeah, I know, but I liked DOS. You could do so much with DOS and tinker with the system to your heart’s desire. Of course, with PowerShell, you still can, or even without it, although it does give you more leeway in what you wish to accomplish. I suppose working with PowerShell and the command line is as close to DOS as one can get without actually running an earlier version of Windows or just going back to DOS, say 6.2x.

DOS has it purposes, and so does Windows GUI. For one thing it makes it so much easier to get work done. It is easier to click a mouse button than to type in what you want to happen. That rather makes it sound like a turnaround doesn’t it? It isn’t. I like some things about Windows, just like I also like some things about Linux. Personally I also believe we had more control over our machines when we used DOS. With all that said, I still like PowerShell. If you don’t know anything about PowerShell, then it behooves you to learn, especially if you are in an IT or administrative career.

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