I want to start scripting

blakeel · 2018-03-08T15:37:19.000Z

Hello.

I want to start to learn how to script.
I am just lost, as to where to start.
When I think of scripting i think “BATCH FILE”…but I have been told power-shell is better.
I have dabbled in power-shell a bit, but not at all to familiar with it.

I want to start doing this in my down time at work (I work IT and boss is ok with this) as well as in off time at home.

I am just lost as to where I should start.
Where do I start? What do I do? Are there test projects I can do?
Seems difficult to come up with random ideas of stuff to script.

Any guidance appreciated.

Thanks.

rockn · 2018-03-08T15:50:18.000Z

Don’t even bother with batch scripting. Look into Powershell

learn.microsoft.com

Getting Started with Microsoft PowerShell

Come learn Microsoft PowerShell from experts in the industry! Take this free course detailing how to make it work best for you.

stevenhern · 2018-03-08T15:53:01.000Z

Hi Blakeel,

Assuming your working with Windows scripting, Microsoft has it’s own ‘Script Centre’ which is a good place to start when learning ‘beginner’ scripting:

learn.microsoft.com

PowerShell Documentation - PowerShell

Official product documentation for PowerShell

This along with IT Pro Today:

Shell Scripting 101, Lesson 1 | ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More (and probably countless others if you Google search) can provide a wealth of resources if you’re just getting started - chances are for the more basic scripts that you want to do, there’ll be a guide or tips online.

You can then proceed to more advanced scripting once you find your feet

Hope this helps and good luck on your scripting voyage

Ste

z-rogue · 2018-03-08T16:13:52.000Z

Another vote for powershell. Im currently going through this book which tends to get recommended a lot for powershell beginners.

Manning Publications

Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition

Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition is an innovative tutorial designed for administrators. Just set aside one hour a day -- lunchtime would be perfect -- for a month, and you'll be automating Windows tasks faster than you...

big-green-man · 2018-03-08T16:22:33.000Z

Join the Powershell group:

https://community.spiceworks.com/programming/powershell

Make sure to read these stickies:

How do I Learn PowerShell (Sticky) Programming & Development

A commonly asked question here is: "How Do I Learn PowerShell?". This sticky post presents common responses to that question with pointers to more details. Please read this post, and look at the resources before you ask questions in the forum as they might help to get you started with PowerShell! If there are missing great references, then please comment below - I add all good ones. How do you learn best? This a key question to learning most things. Since there are several ways of learning P…

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING! Read if you're new to the PowerShell forum! Programming & Development

Hi, and welcome to the PowerShell forum! Don’t apologize for being a “noob” or “newbie” or “n00b.” There’s just no need – nobody will think you’re stupid, and the forums are all about asking questions. Just ask! Use a descriptive subject. Don’t say “Need help” or “PowerShell Help”, actually summarize what the problem is. It helps the rest of us keep track of which problem is which. Don’t post massive scripts. We’re all volunteers and we don’t have time to read all that, nor will we copy…

Rockn’s MVA link is super helpful as well.

stopthenoise · 2018-03-08T16:36:42.000Z

want to learn to script - give yourself a reason. Remember what scripting is for - simplifying or automating tasks. So find a manual task you do regularly and create a script to automate or simplify it. This is the best way to learn it as you’ll have a vested interest in making it work. That’s how I learned batch, vbscript and Bash. I had stuff i needed to get done and got tired of typing the same commands every day.

jonathanbell0734 · 2018-03-08T16:41:30.000Z

Learn to program first. Don’t learn a language/script.

https://www.amazon.com/Programming-Logic-Design-Comprehensive-Farrell/dp/1337102075

leewilbur · 2018-03-08T17:26:42.000Z

I love batch scripting… but it’s dead. People still use it. I still use it. But PowerShell is what EVERYTHING Windows is built on these days. Well… just about everything.

Another option would be Visual Basic (not really .NET). If it weren’t for Office macros, VB would be dead too. But, VB can be used for a variety of things and can be quite useful. Knowing one “variation” of it USUALLY translates well into the others. For example, if you know Visual Basic for Applications (Macro programming in Office), MUCH of the syntax, commands, and functions can be used to create visual basic scripts (vbs) that run using wscript.exe or cscript.exe. These scripts can be VERY powerful, if somewhat time consuming to create. Likewise, if you know VBA or VBS, you can also use Active Server Pages (ASP) to create web pages (ASP is really dead… well… it should be if you ask most people… and it mostly is). But the IIS capability still exists to run ASP. And if you know VB, it can be easy(ish) to create forms and reports using it.

Seriously, it depends WHY you want to script and what you want to do. But if you want to do system administration, PowerShell. Learn PowerShell.

fmorrison42 · 2018-03-08T17:45:31.000Z

Here I was going to help out and give my recommendation, but it seems everyone else has already said the same things I was going to. Therefore:

+1 for Powershell

and -

+1000 for Learn Powershell in a Month of Lunches Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition

I was referred to this book by someone (or a lot of someones) here in Spiceworks and it was like the clouds parted and the sky opened up to angels singing Halleleuja!

It got me started, and promoted, in my job because I was able to begin automating many things that were taking us forever to accomplish through many hours of clicking.

I cannot recommend this book or Powershell enough.

Good luck and don’t forget to join the Powershell group here on SW. It has saved my bacon more times than I can count.

volumewithin · 2018-03-08T18:23:17.000Z

Rockn:

Don’t even bother with batch scripting. Look into Powershell

Getting Started with Microsoft PowerShell | Microsoft Learn

+1 to this

and +1 to Powershell in a month of lunches.

and +1 to Captain Frostbite’s reply about having a purpose for learning it. Having something that you want to do and working towards figuring out how to do it is the best way to learn and have it sink in.

blakeel · 2018-03-09T14:58:06.000Z

Whoa! thank you for all of the great replies.

I started down the road of vbs yesterday and my boss actually advised me in a similar direction as ya’ll.

He recommended getting familiar with batch and vbs, but focusing on power shell.

Where I work, I do a “help desk” type job (phones/tickets), some onsite work, but I also check in new devices and image them.
We are using SCCM to handle all of imaging, and our engineers configure SCCM and all the tasks.

That being said, a lot of our scripts and task and what not are written in batch.

I did start down the path a few years ago of working towards getting my MSCA, so getting power shell down will definable help (as its required for MCSA).

psophos · 2018-03-09T17:59:54.000Z

Batch and VBS? In 2018? I’d rather blowtorch my testicles off.

That being said, a lot of our scripts and task and what not are written in batch.

Ah. If your boss is OK with it, and your environment is recent enough, you could look to start replacing those old scripts with ones written in Powershell.

I would recommend PS 5.1 everywhere at this point. It requires Win 7+ and Server 2008 R2 + (be sure to check that the software installed is compatible with PS 5.1 first).