Windows Powershell - Cooler than Cool!
As you probably know Windows Powershell has RTWed! You can find the download links and more information on the Windows Vista blog or the Windows Powershell blog.
The Windows Vista blog lists 12 Cool Features of Windows PowerShell. I just wanted to add a couple more. So here goes…
13) Native support for navigating the Windows Registry & Windows Certificate store
Browse through the Windows Registry and Windows Certificate store like how you would browse through a folder structure on a Hard drive
Switch to the registry by typing cd hklm:
PS C:\> cd hklm:
Browse hives like Directories/Folders
PS HKLM:\> cd software
PS HKLM:\software> dir
Hive: Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software
SKC VC Name Property
--- -- ---- --------
1 1 C07ft5Y {(default)}
647 0 Classes {}
10 0 Clients {}
3 0 ComputerAssociates {}
1 0 Crystal Decisions {}
1 0 Gemplus {}
1 0 InstallShield {}
1 0 L&H {}
1 0 Macromedia {}
146 0 Microsoft {}
2 0 ODBC {}
1 0 Policies {}
0 1 Program Groups {ConvertedToLinks}
1 0 Schlumberger {}
0 1 Seagate Software {ConfIIS4}
0 0 Secure {}
2 0 VapiVS71 {}
2 0 Windows 3.1 Migration Status {}
Its the same with Certificate store - just use cd cert:
14) Native support for XML
Windows Powershell has native support for XML, infact XML is a data type. Here’s an example, for simplicity sake I’m not reading the XML from a file but typing it in. Its really easy to ready XML off a file BTW.
PS C:\> $MyXml = [xml]"<Order><OrderNumber>11111</OrderNumber><CustomerName>Bill Gates</CustomerName><Product>Windows Vista Ultimate</Product><Qty>99</Qty></Order>"
So at the Windows Powershell prompt I create a variable $MyXml and pass it a string which contains my Order XML. Notice the [xml] casting that I’m doing, so what I end up with in $MyXml is an XML Object.
I can then access my XML Object simply by typing it out to see the root elements
PS C:\> $MyXml
Order
-----
Order
Or I can see the inner text of the Root elements, Windows Powershell infact formats the output for me in a nice table. It will be much better to view your XML in this way when you have say a lot more nodes within the Order root element.
PS C:\> $MyXml.Order
OrderNumber CustomerName Product Qty
----------- ------------ ------- ---
11111 Bill Gates Windows Vista Ul... 99
If I want to I can even access a particular node in my XML like this
PS C:\> $MyXml.Order.CustomerName
Bill Gates
PS C:\>
Well there is a whole lot more, you can even use XPATH, here is a great article on MSDN if you are looking out to play with XML using Windows Powershell - https://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/topics/winpsh/payette3.mspx
The list can just go on… I’d better stop. Windows Powershell – a shell you’ll fall in love with if you are an admin or a developer – just go try it today!