Advanced PowerShell Development

Advanced PowerShell Development (PWS201)

Course Length: 5 days
Delivery Methods: Available as private class only
Course Overview

This Advanced PowerShell Development course is tailored for professionals aiming to enhance the efficiency and robustness of their scripts. This course is ideal for individuals or small groups within a company looking to harness the full capabilities of PowerShell to streamline operations and develop cutting-edge scripts.

The journey begins with an exploration of Introduction to PowerShell Development, where you'll gain insights into PowerShell’s evolution and appreciate its modern capabilities. The lesson also touches on core principles and best practices for writing reusable and maintainable code, providing a strong foundation for effective PowerShell script development.

Dive deeper with Tools for Advanced PowerShell Development, uncovering the interactive shell's role as a starting point. Here, you'll explore and discover commands, leveraging tools like VS Code alongside the PowerShell Extension to facilitate seamless coding practices. Get hands-on with an exercise to reinforce command exploration.

The course then progresses to Building PowerShell Functions and Modules, where you'll learn to create reusable functions and transform scripts into modules. You'll tackle input validation, manage dependencies, and engage with practical exercises designed to fortify your understanding of PowerShell functions and modules.

With Parameterizing Functions with CmdletBinding, unlock new potential by utilizing CmdletBinding and common parameters. Explore mandatory parameters, default values, and delve into pipeline working techniques, including parameter validation, aliases, and cmdlet parameter sets. Practice exercises reinforce these concepts, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience.

In Generating Object-Based Output, you’ll discover PowerShell’s unique object pipeline and design functions that return structured objects. This module emphasizes testing output for proper formatting and usability, with exercises to sharpen your practical skills in producing object-based outputs.

Managing Output Streams and Messaging will teach you to navigate PowerShell’s six output streams effectively. Learn to harness verbose, warning, and informational messages while structuring output for better logging and debugging. Engage in exercises that explore PowerShell output streams to reinforce your learning.

The Handling Errors and Exceptions lesson focuses on understanding Try-Catch-Finally constructs. You'll develop robust error handling strategies and learn to log and debug error outputs efficiently, with practice sessions reinforcing these critical skills.

Master debugging with Debugging PowerShell Scripts, utilizing tools within VS Code, including breakpoints for effective troubleshooting. This section prepares you to test edge cases and manage unexpected inputs through hands-on debugging exercises, ensuring you can maintain script reliability under varied conditions.

Learn to document efficiently in Implementing Help and Documentation. This lesson covers writing comprehensive inline documentation and generating external help using PlatyPS. You’ll gain skills for ensuring updatable and online access to help resources, supported by targeted practice exercises.

Transition to sharing solutions with the Publishing to the PowerShell Gallery segment. Understand ScriptAnalyzer’s role, create manifests, and practice publishing modules to the PowerShell Gallery to extend the reach and reusability of your PowerShell scripts.

Refine your scripting prowess in Refining Your PowerShell Tools, discovering the Extended Type System and creating efficient menu systems and proxy functions. A practical exercise in building a simple PowerShell menu system will bring these concepts to life.

Finally, tackle data interaction in Working With Data. Interact with SQL Server and learn to import/export JSON data. This module empowers you to work with XML, CliXML, and convert between various data formats. Complete the course with exercises that solidify your capabilities in handling and converting data.

By concluding this course, you'll be equipped with a deep understanding and practical skills in advanced PowerShell development, ready to optimize scripting capabilities within your organization and leverage PowerShell to its fullest potential.

Course Benefits
  • Enhance proficiency in PowerShell tool development.
  • Learn best practices for writing maintainable code.
  • Gain skills in creating reusable functions and modules.
  • Master parameterizing functions with CmdletBinding.
  • Understand generating object-based output for better utility.
  • Develop error handling strategies for robust scripting.
  • Improve debugging techniques using advanced tools.
  • Learn to document scripts for better user accessibility.
  • Acquire knowledge in publishing to the PowerShell Gallery.
  • Refine tools for enhanced functionality and performance.
  • Expand skills in working with diverse data formats.
  • Explore advanced scripting concepts and applications.
  • Increase efficiency in managing output streams and messaging.
Course Outline
  1. Introduction to PowerShell Development
    1. Understanding PowerShell’s Evolution and Modern Capabilities
    2. Core Principles of PowerShell Development
    3. Best Practices for Writing Reusable and Maintainable Code
  2. Tools for Advanced PowerShell Development
    1. Why Begin in the Interactive Shell?
    2. Exploring and Discovering Commands
    3. VS Code and the PowerShell Extension
    4. Exploring and Understanding Commands (Exercise)
  3. Building PowerShell Functions and Modules
    1. Creating Reusable Functions
    2. Turning a Script into a Module
    3. Validating Inputs and Managing Dependencies
    4. PowerShell Function and Module Practice (Exercise)
  4. Parameterizing Functions with CmdletBinding
    1. Using CmdletBinding and Common Parameters
    2. Mandatory Parameters and Default Values
    3. Using CmdletBinding and Common Parameters Practice (Exercise)
    4. Working with the Pipeline
    5. Parameter Validation & Aliases
    6. Cmdlet Parameter Sets
    7. Using Pipeline Input, Validation & Parameter Sets Practice (Exercise)
  5. Generating Object-Based Output
    1. Understanding PowerShell’s Object Pipeline
    2. Designing Functions that Return Structured Objects
    3. Testing Output for Proper Formatting and Usability
    4. PowerShell Object-Based Output Practice (Exercise)
  6. Managing Output Streams and Messaging
    1. Understanding the Six PowerShell Output Streams
    2. Using Verbose, Warning, and Informational Messages
    3. Structuring Output for Logging and Debugging
    4. Explore PowerShell Output Streams (Exercise)
  7. Handling Errors and Exceptions
    1. Understanding Try-Catch-Finally in PowerShell
    2. Writing Robust Error Handling
    3. Logging and Debugging Error Outputs
    4. Error Handling Practice (Exercise)
  8. Debugging PowerShell Scripts
    1. Using Debugging Tools in VS Code
    2. Leveraging Breakpoints for Troubleshooting
    3. Testing Edge Cases and Unexpected Inputs
    4. Debugging PowerShell Scripts Practice (Exercise)
  9. Implementing Help and Documentation
    1. Writing Comprehensive Inline Documentation
    2. Understanding the Need for External Help
    3. Generating External Help Using PlatyPS
    4. Ensuring Updatable and Online Help Access
    5. Implementing Help Practice (Exercise)
  10. Publishing to the PowerShell Gallery
    1. Using ScriptAnalyzer
    2. Creating Manifests
    3. Publishing to the Gallery
    4. Practice Publishing a Module to the PowerShell Gallery (Exercise)
  11. Refining your PowerShell Tools
    1. Extended Type System
    2. Creating a Menu System
    3. Proxy Functions
    4. Building a Simple PowerShell Menu System (Exercise)
  12. Working with Data
    1. Interacting with SQL Server
    2. Importing and Exporting JSON Data
    3. Working with XML and CliXML in PowerShell
    4. Converting Between Different Data Formats
    5. Data Conversion Practice (Exercise)
Class Materials

Each student will receive a comprehensive set of materials, including course notes and all the class examples.

Class Prerequisites

Experience in the following is required for this PowerShell class:

  • Basic knowledge of scripting and programming concepts
  • Familiarity with command-line interfaces
  • Experience working with PowerShell
  • Understanding of core PowerShell commands and syntax
  • Ability to use Visual Studio Code or similar text editors
  • Knowledge of Windows OS and its features
Prerequisite Courses

Courses that can help you meet these prerequisites:

Live Private Class
  • Private Class for your Team
  • Live training
  • Online or On-location
  • Customizable
  • Expert Instructors
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