Basic scripting powershell for beginners

PowerShell is a powerful scripting language and automation tool for Windows systems. Here are some fundamental concepts and examples to help you begin your journey with PowerShell scripting:

Editor

To create scripts and run them, you need an editor and I use Visual Studio Code. Works with notepad and the powershell command window as well, but I prefer VS code

Variables:
You can store data in variables for later use. Variables start with a dollar sign $ followed by a name.
Example:

 $name = "John"

Output:
You can display the value of a variable or the result of an operation using Write-Host or simply by typing the variable’s name:

 Write-Host $name

Comments:
Use # to add comments to your code. Comments are ignored by PowerShell and are for documentation purposes.
Example:

 # This is a comment

Basic Script Structure:
PowerShell scripts usually have a .ps1 file extension.
You can create a script using a text editor like Notepad.
Example of a simple script:

 # This is a PowerShell script
 $name = "Alice"
 Write-Host "Hello, $name!"

User Input:
You can prompt the user for input using the Read-Host cmdlet:

 $userInput = Read-Host "Enter your name"

If Statements:
Use if statements for conditional logic:

 $num = 10
 if ($num -gt 5) {
     Write-Host "$num is greater than 5"
 }

Loops:
PowerShell supports for, while, and foreach loops. Here’s a simple for loop example:

 for ($i = 1; $i -le 5; $i++) {
     Write-Host "Iteration $i"
 }

Functions:
You can define reusable functions using the function keyword.
Example:

  function Multiply($a, $b) {
      return $a * $b
  }
  $result = Multiply 5 3
  Write-Host "Result: $result"

Running Scripts:
By default, PowerShell doesn’t allow running scripts for security reasons. You may need to change the execution policy using the Set-ExecutionPolicy cmdlet.
To run a script, use the .\ prefix followed by the script’s file path:

  .\myscript.ps1

Online Resources:
PowerShell has an extensive community and documentation. You can find help and examples on websites like Microsoft Docs and Stack Overflow.

Remember that PowerShell is a versatile scripting language, and you can use it for various tasks, including system administration, automation, and more. As you become more familiar with PowerShell, you can explore more advanced topics and cmdlets to suit your needs.