Ed Wilson: Where are all the objects?

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I received an e-mail this morning via Scripter@Microsoft.com that stated he loved all the cool COM objects we use in our scripts over at the Microsoft Script Center. As the Microsoft Scripting Guy, I get these kinds of e-mails all the time. This time, however, the question was a bit different. He asked where all the COM objects are documented.

Nearly all of OUR objects are documented via the SDK on MSDN. There are thousands of the things. I look over the SDK from time to time, just to look for cool things to try out… but generally, I go to the SDK and look for specific objects because I am trying to do something.

If it is something NEW and I have time, then I will spend several days of research and trial and error before committing to a particular approach for a script. But if the script is time sensitive, then I first search my collection of scripts to see if I have something I can modify. This is where Windows Vista Search has greatly simplified my life. I have added the .vbs and the .ps1 file types to Vista Search as full content index. I then made sure that my script directory is completely indexed. Now when I write a script, I also add a couple of key words in the header section of my scripts. This makes it easy for me to find my scripts (I have written more than 3,000 VBScripts and nearly that many Windows PowerShell scripts).

If I do not have a script I can modify, then I search the Script Center for something to get me started. I have created a special Bing search macro that only searches the Script Center. If I do not find it there, then I will search the SDK on MSDN. So in any event, I usually end back up on MSDN.

There is no complete list of Objects you can use in a script from either Microsoft, or from anyone else. The reason, is that new objects are created each day and any list once completed, would immediately become out of date. This is where knowing how to find the objects, and how to use the objects comes in helpful. The Microsoft Press book: Microsoft VBScript Step by Step discusses this technique in detail.

 

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