Scripting and Automation Options For Windows
Last Updated: 02 May 2006 / Prior Update: 29 Mar 2006
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*** PLEASE NOTE: Link(s), If Provided, May Be Wrapped ***
In no particular order [1], your scripting options for
Windows Operating Systems are:
NT Shell Scripting
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• START --> Help --> Windows NT Commands (NT4)
• START --> Help --> Reference --> MS-DOS Commands (Win2K)
• START --> HELP & SUPPORT --> SEARCH "A-Z" --> Command-line Reference A-Z (XP/2003)
• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/proddocs/ntcmds_o.asp
• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/proddocs/ntcmds.asp
• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/proddocs/batch.asp
• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/proddocs/standard/ntcmds.asp
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/Scripts/?File=!Contents.TXT
• http://www.cotse.com/Ntcommands/ntcmdsCommands_Index1.html
• http://windows2000.about.com/cs/batchscriptingtips/
• http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/batchcmds.htm
• http://www.win32scripting.com/
• http://richpoorman.com/windows/batchfiles.htm
• http://www.robvanderwoude.com/robnavbat.html
MS-DOS References
-----------------------------------
• http://screamer.mobrien.com/manuals/MPRM_Group/command-console-shell.html
• http://www.computerhope.com/msdos.htm#02
• http://home7.inet.tele.dk/batfiles/
• http://www.maem.umr.edu/~batch/intrin1.htm
• http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/~batch/
• http://www.calweb.com/~webspace/batch/
• http://www.i386.com/admin/general/scripts/enviro.htm
• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/MSDOS/reskit/comm1.asp
KixTart
-----------------------------------
• Resource Kit
• http://www.kixtart.org/
• http://www.robvanderwoude.com/
• http://www.scriptlogic.com/kixtart/
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/Scripts/
Windows Scripting Host
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• Resource Kit
• http://www.rallenhome.com/books/adcookbook/code.html
• http://www.myitforum.com/articles/11/view.asp?id=6298
• http://www.adsi4nt.com/
• http://www.newriders.com/adsi_web/
• http://www.swynk.com/winscript/
• http://www.windows-script.com/
• http://www.robvanderwoude.com/
• http://www.winscriptingsolutions.com/
• http://cwashington.netreach.net/main/?topic=news
• http://groups.msn.com/windowsscript/
• http://microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/compmgmt/
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/script56/html/wsconwshbasics.asp
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/scripting/
• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/scrguide/sas_roa_overview.asp
• http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=B4CB2678-DAFB-4E30-B2DA-B8814FE2DA5A
Perl for Win32
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• Resource Kit (Win2K)
• http://www.activestate.com/
• http://www.robvanderwoude.com/
Python
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• http://www.python.org/windows/
• http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePython.html
• http://www.activestate.com/Products/VisualPython.html
C#
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• http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/sample.asp?url=/msdn-files/027/002/097/msdncompositedoc.xml
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/vcsharp/
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/cscon/html/vcoriCStartPage.asp
Windows PowerShell (formerly MSH)
-----------------------------------
• http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/management/powershell/
• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/hubs/msh.mspx
• http://arstechnica.com/guides/other/msh.ars/1
• http://www.reskit.net/monad/
• http://channel9.msdn.com/wiki/default.aspx/Channel9.MSHWiki
SCRIPT ARCHIVES
• http://www.myitforum.com/articles/11/view.asp?id=6298
• http://cwashington.netreach.net/main/?topic=news
• http://www.rallenhome.com/books/adcookbook/code.html
ENCODING/COMPILING SCRIPTS
• http://www.abyssmedia.com/quickbfc/
• http://www.mcpmag.com/columns/article.asp?EditorialsID=522
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/script56/html/seconscriptencodersyntax.asp
• http://www.bdargo.com/
OTHER SCRIPTING OPTIONS
• WinBatch ............... http://www.winbatch.com/
• 4NT .................... http://www.jpsoft.com/
TOOLS
Here are some editors and IDEs that will assist you in
creating and modifying scripts
• Admin Script Editor .... http://www.adminscripteditor.com/editor/features.asp
• Boxer Text Editor ...... http://www.boxersoftware.com/
• ConTEXT ................ http://fixedsys.com/context/
• Crimson Editor ......... http://www.crimsoneditor.com/
• GWD Text Editor ........ http://www.gwdsoft.com/
• PrimalScript ........... http://www.sapien.com/products.htm
• TextPad ................ http://www.textpad.com/
• UltraEdit .............. http://www.ultraedit.com/
• Visual DialogScript .... http://www.dialogscript.com/en/
BOOKS -- https://brainwavecc.com/Library.html
• Windows NT Shell Scripting
• Windows 2000 Windows Script Host
• Windows NT Scripting Administrator's Guide
• Windows NT/2000 ADSI Scripting for Sys Admins
• Windows 2000 System Administrator's Black Book
• Learning Perl, 2nd Edition
• Effective Perl Programming
• Perl Resource Kit - Win32 Edition
• JavaScript - The Definitive Guide
• JavaScript Bible, 3rd Edition
• http://www.newriders.com/search/index.asp?searchstring=wsh&searchgroup=All+Information+Products&MaxRows=20&StartRow=1
• http://www.robvanderwoude.com/
ONLINE BOOK STORES
• Amazon.com ............. http://www.amazon.com/
• Bookpool.com ........... http://www.bookpool.com/
• ISBN.NU ................ http://www.isbn.nu/
• UltraTech MegaStore .... http://ultratech-online.vstoremarket.com/
PERSONAL NOTES
• May 2006: Microsoft Scripting Host is now officially
called Windows PowerShell, and boy does it have
some serious power! This is the wave of the
future as it pertains to Windows scripting...
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/management/powershell/
• Mar 2006: Added update to Monad (MSH) documentation
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/hubs/msh.mspx
• Mar 2006: Added link to extensive Console Shell documentation
http://screamer.mobrien.com/manuals/MPRM_Group/command-console-shell.html
• May 2005: Added link to Quick Batch File Compiler
http://www.abyssmedia.com/quickbfc/
• My text editor of choice is http://www.textpad.com/
• Windows 2003 offers a number of new native commands,
some of which were previously available only via the
Resource Kits.
• WSH supports multiple Engine types, such as VBScript,
JavaScript, JScript, Python and Perl.
• C# is as much a full level development language as
it is a scripting language.
• C# and Perl are available on multiple platforms.
• The best way to obtain syntax help for the various
Shell Scripting commands is to type the following:
name_of_command /?
• Examples:
IF /?
CMD /?
FOR /?
SET /?
CALL /?
GOTO /?
SETLOCAL /?
ENDLOCAL /?
• The "NT Shell Scripting" book by Tim Hill is an
incredible resource as well...
• You can redirect all output from a batch file to a
logfile at the command line.
Example: MyBatch.BAT >C:\Temp\MyLog.LOG
• If you spend any time at the command line, you'll
want to enable "Completion Characters" in NT/2000/XP.
• Don't forget to surround long file/folder names, or
variables that will contain long names, with double
quotes.
