I’ve just finished creating my latest course for Pluralsight, entitled Formatting with PowerShell. The course looks at how you can get great output from PowerShell - including both defaults and what you can do to improve your output.
Formatting, to my mind, is the art and science of presenting data to your target audience. Great looking output not only is easier to read and consume, but it often gives (possibly unearned) credibility! PowerShell does a lot of things by default, making it the superior tool for the IT Pro. This course shows you how you can get the most out of what PowerShell provides by default, but also what you can do to over ride these defaults.
The course has 6 modules:
Module 1 – Introducing .ToString(). The core of PowerShell (and .NET) formatting is the .ToString() method. I regard the .ToString() method as the basis for all formatting in PowerShell, so it’s important to understand this .NET feature. The module looks as using .ToString to format numbers, dates, time spans and enums.
Module 2 – Composite Format Strings. This is a feature, leveraged from within .NET that I use a lot. We look at what makes up a composite format string and how to use the –f operator to format strings.
Module 3 – Formatting In the Pipeline. This module looks at how you can use the Format-* commands to format objects coming from the pipeline.
Module 4 – Using Hash Tables. Hash tables can be used to improve the output, particularly output generated by Format-Table and Format-List. We look at these hash tables and provide examples as to how they work.
Module 5 – Format Files and Display XML. Default formatting in PowerShell is based on format files and display XML. This module looks at how you can write your own format files, both to change default output and to create new views for your own, or existing, data types.
Module 6 – Other Output Mechanisms. This final module looks at the other ways you can data out of PowerShell, including using the Out-* cmdlets, CSV and CliXML for persisting objects and both HTML and Office document output.
Each module has demos, best practices and provides a great summary. The course material includes the slides and all the demos which you get depending on what level of Pluralsight membership you have.
The course is finished and is going through the production phase which shouldn’t take too long – I expect the course to be on the web site this week. I have to say, the guys at Pluralsight are pretty good not only about making sure the course is high quality, but that all the bits are where you want them! I’m impressed overall with their people and their process. They make me want to write more material for them!
And a call out to TechSmith (www.techsmith.com). The course is recorded using Techsmith’s Camtasia and the screen shots captured using Techsmith’s SnagIt product. I could not have recorded this course without these two great products. If you are developing presentation or training course material, you should be looking at these two products. Once you have them, you’ll fall in love with them! Thanks TechSmith!!
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