.NET

Develop Binary Cmdlets for PowerShell Core on Mac OS X

2017-07-13: This article was updated to reflect a new beta of the PowerShell SDK. Have you wanted to develop binary cmdlets using C# .NET for PowerShell Core on Mac OS X or Linux? If so, you and I are in the same boat. In this document, I’ll cover the steps necessary to develop C# cmdlets … Read moreDevelop Binary Cmdlets for PowerShell Core on Mac OS X

Use PowerShell to Persist Environment Variables

Persistent Environment Variables PowerShell

In PowerShell, you can easily create environment variables using a few different methods. However, these are only scoped to the current PowerShell process, and not to any process running inside the user’s profile, or any process running on the system. Here are a few examples of methods that you can use to set environment variables … Read moreUse PowerShell to Persist Environment Variables

Azure Functions Error Message

Microsoft Azure recently introduced a new feature called Azure Functions. This service is, in some ways, very similar to the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Lambda service. Both services enable software developers to create scalable microservices using a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) model. In Microsoft Azure, the Functions feature is actually a component of the Azure App Service … Read moreAzure Functions Error Message

Implementing a .NET Class in PowerShell v5

Introduction

You might have heard that PowerShell version 5.0 has introduced support for building .NET classes. Indeed, this is a powerful, new capability that has not previously existed in native PowerShell syntax. Before the new class-building syntax existed, if you wanted to build custom objects in PowerShell, you generally would either: 1) use the [PSCustomObject] type, or 2) build a .NET class in C#, and use the Add-Type command to import it into the PowerShell session.

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PowerShell: Measuring Download Speeds

Have you ever downloaded a file from the Internet? Probably.

Have you ever downloaded a file with PowerShell? Maybe.

Have you ever wondered how fast your download was going? Sure.

Have you ever wondered how to get that information when you’re downloading a file with PowerShell? Maybe, but you didn’t have a solution until now!

Our web browsers calculate download speeds for us, somehow. Specifically how, I have no clue, but what I do know is that we are more than capable of calculating download speeds using PowerShell.

Read morePowerShell: Measuring Download Speeds

Introducing Microsoft’s OFFICIAL Windows Azure PowerShell Module!

Hello folks! Today, Microsoft has officially announced the availability of a new PowerShell module to help manage Windows Azure features! In order to obtain this module, you will need to download the Web Platform Installer 4.0 (x64, x86). Once you’ve installed the Web Platform Installer 4.0, you’ll need to search for “PowerShell” and install the “Windows Azure PowerShell” package from it.

Read moreIntroducing Microsoft’s OFFICIAL Windows Azure PowerShell Module!

PowerShell: Automate Windows Azure Service Bus queue creation

Microsoft Windows Azure Logo

One of the core services provided by the Windows Azure “cloud computing” platform is the ability to create first-in, first-out messaging queues. These queues are considered to be part of the Service Bus feature in Windows Azure. In some cases, it may be desirable to automate the creation of these queues, especially if there are a lot of them to create. By automating this process, rather than performing it manually, you can ensure consistency, repeatability, and speed.

Starting out with Windows Azure automation might lead you to download the official Microsoft Windows Azure cmdlets, or even the third-party Cerebrata Windows Azure module for Windows PowerShell. The latter module appears to have cmdlets that support queue creation, however the former (Microsoft) module does not. If you’d rather not spend the money on the Cerebrata module, can’t get your company to buy it for you, or you’d rather just stick to native Microsoft stuff, you’re still in luck. The Windows Azure .NET SDK 1.6 allows C# developers, and PowerShell script writers, to create queues using the provided .NET types!

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PowerShell: Get the Windows Azure Certificate

Microsoft Windows Azure Logo

If you’re automating Windows Azure using Windows PowerShell, one of the first things you’ll probably notice is that you need a management certificate to connect to the Windows Azure subscription that you’re attempting to view or modify. Management certificates are associated to a Windows Azure subscription inside the Management Portal, under the Hosted Services, Storage Accounts … Read morePowerShell: Get the Windows Azure Certificate

Octopus: A .NET Release Management Tool

Introduction To give you a little background, I started a job back in mid-January which has taken me from doing Microsoft infrastructure engineering to doing more software development related work. I’ve never worked in a professional development environment before, and this job has been a real eye-opener for me in many different ways. I’m learning … Read moreOctopus: A .NET Release Management Tool

PowerShell: Finding Friday the 13th

Update (2012-01-13): Justin Dearing (aka @zippy1981) informed me that it would be more efficient to look at the 13th of each month, and test if it was a Friday. In theory at least, he’s absolutely correct; I wrote the function the first way I thought of it, and I always welcome suggested improvements. This morning … Read morePowerShell: Finding Friday the 13th