This presentation on PowerShell Best Practices and resources for learning more about PowerShell was presented at the Chicago PowerShell Users Group on February 12, 2019.

1. BUSINESS
CONSULTANTS
DEEP
TECHNOLOGISTS
PowerShell Best Practices
Michael Blumenthal, O365 MVP

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Agenda
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Best Practices
Resources

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Source Code Control

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Function global:Do-Something($someParameter){
}
Use Functions
Modular Reusable
Commentable Safer

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Comment your functions
<#
.SYNOPSIS –a brief explanation of what the script or function does.
.DESCRIPTION – a more detailed explanation of what the script or function does.
.PARAMETER name – an explanation of a specific parameter. Replace name with the
parameter name. You can have one of these sections for each parameter the script
or function uses.
.INPUTS What’s it take?
.OUTPUTS What’s it give?
.EXAMPLE – an example of how to use the script or function. You can have multiple
.EXAMPLE sections if you want to provide more than one example.
.NOTES – any miscellaneous notes on using the script or function.
.LINK – a cross-reference to another help topic; you can have more than one of
these. If you include a URL beginning with http:// or https://, the shell will open that
URL when the Help command’s –online parameter is used.
#>

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Self Announcing Functions

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Follow the Naming Convention!

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Always read scripts before running them
Make yours safe when others don’t
Check for valid parameter values
 get-help about_Functions_Advanced_Parameters
Do error handling
 get-help about_Try_Catch_Finally
 get-help about_CommonParameters
 -ErrorAction and -ErrorVariable
More Good Ideas

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Executing Scripts
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.filename.ps1
Set-ExecutionPolicy <Policy Name>

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Demos

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Resources

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By Bruce Payette and Richard Siddaway, THIRD edition (2017)

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PowerShell Blog
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/powershell/

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Microsoft Script Center
https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/

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Jeff Hicks, PowerShell MVP
https://jdhitsolutions.com/blog/

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SharePoint Patterns & Practices PowerShell

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TechCommunity.microsoft.com

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PowerShell.org

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Please feel free to contact me at any time
MICHAEL BLUMENTHAL
O365 IT Product Manager
@michaelbl
https://bit.ly/MBB-LI
mblumenthal@wmp.com
https://Michaelblumenthal.me
Any Questions?Any Questions?