What tutorial do you recommend for learning PowerShell?

Question

I would like to learn PowerShell in my spare time.

I already know a bunch of stuff in that line (Perl, Ruby, Python, bash, cmd.exe) so a tutorial leveraging that would be awesome.

Also, since I am a software developer (C# mainly, but done some C, some C++, some Java etc.) I am looking for something not geared towards the usual "power user", but toward someone who actually enjoys reading (and writing) EBNFs!

Do you know of any such tutorial / introductory reading?

Answer 1

http://powershell.com/ perhaps, run by a powershell MVP

Answer 2

Your best move might be to try to unlearn some of what you know about shell scripting from the unix world. When I've tried to use PowerShell to do stuff I would normally use unix-like tools to do I've always ended up with really inefficent solutions. I suspect it's because I try to take too much of my *nix ways with me.

Yeah, of course you can't unlearn. But I think PowerShell needs an approach that targets its strengths. The PowerShell Tao. Find a tutorial pointing at that and you should have better success than mine.

Answer 3

I'm still learning PowerShell (at a snail's pace) myself, so I can't really offer up a one-stop tutorial. However, I can provide you with collection of links I've been building for the past few months. Be forewarned - I'm a DBA, so some of them have a slant in that direction.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/hubs/msh.mspx - Microsoft Scripting Center for PowerShell

http://www.mindofroot.com/2008/11/19/mapping-ad-group-relationships-with-powershell/

http://sqlblog.com/blogs/lara_rubbelke/default.aspx - Lara Rubbelke does a lot with SQL SMO and PowerShell

http://blogs.msdn.com/buckwoody/ - Buck Woody has tons of PowerShell stuff, and specifically in November of 2008, after the PASS conference, he posted a great framework: http://blogs.msdn.com/buckwoody/archive/2008/11/21/pass-2008-conference-day-five.aspx

Again - sorry I can't be a little more specific, but maybe this can be a bit of a building block, too.

Answer 4

PowerShell in Action (http://www.manning.com/payette) was written by Bruce Payette, PowerShell's language designer. His book is excellent as it explains why they made a lot of the decisions they did, not just explaining the "what."

My learning experience went thusly: downloaded PowerShell=>read first 5 or so chapters of book=>built script, using book as reference.

If you're considering buying the book direct from Manning, look around for Manning coupons; I vaguely remember there's a 50% off coupon available now.

Answer 5

Not tutorials, but some things you may want to check/consider: A video on converting C# to PowerShell v2: http://powershell.com/cs/media/p/133.aspx

Some challenges with solutions: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/funzone/games/default.mspx

You're C# experience will definitely help you to quickly grasp using objects in PowerShell.

Answer 6

I liked these two books:

• Windows PowerShell in Action by Bruce Payette
• Windows PowerShell Pocket Reference by Lee Holmes

Also, check out these sites:

• MS Script Center
• Scripting with Windows PowerShell
• The PowerShell blog
• PowerGUI

Answer 7

I got started using the tutorial on PowerShell Pro.

My only complaints are:

• The navigation is hard to use (list of links on the right hand side)
• There are a few errors and typos throughout. Although if you're an astute reader, you'll notice right away.

The teaching techniques I found useful were when they show how to do a task in both PowerShell and through regular Windows GUI (like MMC) and when they describe real-world uses for some of the scripts or commands.

Answer 8

See also Master-PowerShell | With Dr. Tobias Weltner, a "free e-book from the makers of PowerShell Plus", recommended by Jeffrey Snover - note that this book deals with PowerShell v1.

Answer 9

PwrShell.net (the codecorner) good for beginners. Stuff like working with arrays and basic things. Really great to start with!