Monday, December 18, 2006

Technology To Try: Windows PowerShell

My friend Alex Chan pointed me to a (new to me) Windows project that just live. I'm going to do my best to blog it without making any obnoxious remarks. Here's what the main project page has to say:

Microsoft Windows PowerShell command line shell and scripting language helps IT Professionals achieve greater productivity. Using a new admin-focused scripting language, more than 130 standard command line tools, and consistent syntax and utilities, Windows PowerShell allows IT Professionals to more easily control system administration and accelerate automation.

Sounds good to me. I'll have to give it a shot.

Oh, I can't resist just one remark: 130 commands? Yikes, that seems a bit slim. I have 906 commands in /usr/bin/ on my cygwin install, and that's with installing only standard tools.

Oh, I can't resist again: finally, Windows has caught up to Unix, circa 1978.

I'm done now. Really, I am. Nice job Microsoft. I look forward to playing with this.

Alex, thanks for the pointer!

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:25 PM

    I sometimes introduce myself saying that "my job is to lead Microsoft into the 1970's". Its funny and true to a certain degree but it is also fair to say that we are taking a very modern approach to the problem.

    Jeffrey Snover [MSFT]
    Windows PowerShell/MMC Architect
    Visit the Windows PowerShell Team blog at: http://blogs.msdn.com/PowerShell
    Visit the Windows PowerShell ScriptCenter at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/hubs/msh.mspx

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  2. Anonymous12:28 PM

    2 comments on 130 commands
    1) Our competition as a 30 year headstart on us. :-)
    2) We focused on utilties that would provide maximal benefit to the teams that then write the domain-specific commands. These commands take a lot more work.

    Jeffrey Snover [MSFT]
    Windows PowerShell/MMC Architect
    Visit the Windows PowerShell Team blog at: http://blogs.msdn.com/PowerShell
    Visit the Windows PowerShell ScriptCenter at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/hubs/msh.mspx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good points Jeffrey. I'm sure a fresh approach to scripting, one that can learn from the years of experience and not simply be tied to tradition, is a really good thing.

    I look forward to playing with this project and seeing what you're team has come up with.

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