Automating%20Common%20SharePoint%20Tasks%20with%20PowerShell

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Automating Common SharePoint Tasks with PowerShell

• Neil Iversen
• Inetium
• http//justaddcode.com

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What is PowerShell?

• Different things to different people
• Its a
• Shell
• Cool .bat file
• VBScript replacement
• Admins Best Friend
• Developers Best Friend

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An ugly but powerful shell
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Very Scientific Language Usefulness Continuum
(Patent Pending)
SysAdmin
Printer Drivers

• C

.NET (C/VB.NET)
Scripting Languages (Ruby, Python)
BASH, SH

• PowerShell

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How can it help with Development?

• Traditional SharePoint Development
• Time wasted during Testing
• PowerShell / .NET Hybrid Development
• Risky development done in PoSH
• Code converted to .NET (C/VB)
• Shorter Deploy/Test Cycle

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How can it help with Administration?
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So why isnt everyone using it?

• Perception of PowerShell as a Shell
• No first party Snapins
• Slow SharePoint community adoption
• Most admins arent comfortable with .NET
• Most devs arent comfortable in the shell

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Core Components

• Alias
• cd set-location
• Dir get-childitem
• Cmdlet
• Workhorse of PowerShell
• Function/Filter
• Block of script
• Provider
• Adds alternate directory structure
• Think /proc only niftier
• Get-PSdrive
• Snapin
• Group of PowerShell functionality

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Getting Around

• ls
• cd
• rm
• mkdir
• man

• dir
• cd
• del
• Mkdir
• help

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Conditions and Flow Control

• Variables
• foo bar implicitly typed as string
• ary 4,2,5,2 typed as object
• Some Operators
• -eq
• -lt / -gt
• -le / -ge
• -like / -notlike
• -match / -imatch
• Control
• If
• switch
• help about_comparison_operators

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The Pipeline

• First some background
• In DOS/Unix
• Dir more
• Run a directory and pipe the output to the More
  command
• Actually passes the resulting text to the next
  command
• Unix has advanced text manipulation functions to
  parse
• In PowerShell
• Dir more
• Passes the .NET Objects between commands
• System.IO.FileInfo in this case

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The Pipeline A Visual
Traditional Shell
Green Car Red Car Blue Car
PowerShell
Color Green Doors 2 MPG 45
Color Red Doors 2 MPG 36
Color Blue Doors 2 MPG 27
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The Pipeline

• The most unique feature of PowerShell
• Since everything in PowerShell is a .NET type, it
  can be passed as an argument
• Enables a LINQ-esque experience
• C
• foo Class.Method()
• Bar OtherClass.Method(foo)
• Baz OtherOtherClass.Method(bar)
• PowerShell
• Class.Method() OtherClass.Method()
  OtherOtherClass.Method()

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Common Pipeline Commands

• Foreach-object
• dir foreach-object _.Name
• Alias dir _.Name
• Where-object
• dir where-object _.Length gt 10
• Alias dir ? _.Length gt 10
• Select-object
• dir select-object first 5
• Alias none
• Honorable Mentions Sort-Object, Group-Object

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Dealing with Output

• Formatting

• Output

• Format-Custom
• Format-List
• Format-Table
• Format-Wide

• Out-Default
• Out-Null
• Out-Host
• Out-Printer
• Out-String

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DEMO Getting Around
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Scripting in PowerShell

• Loosely typed variables
• foo bar (implicit System.String)
• ary 1,2,3,4 (object array)
• Strongly typed variables
• stringfoo bar
• Enhanced Types
• xmld ltagtltbgtltcgtc stuff 1lt/cgtltcgtc stuff
  2lt/cgtlt/bgtlt/agt
• d.a.b.c (array of strings)

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DEMO Building Solutions
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Getting started with SharePoint

• System.Reflection.AssemblyLoadWithPartialName(
  Microsoft.SharePoint)
• Use .NET to load it into our shell
• Assumes its in the GAC and there is only one
  version

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Next Up, lets get a (SP)Site

• site new-object Microsoft.SharePoint.SPSite(ht
  tp//thesite/site)
• site is a variable to store the SPSite into
• new-object creates a new instance of an Object
• The Constructor for SPSite has an overload with
  one argument (the url)

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And how about a (SP)Web?

• web site.OpenUrl()
• web stores the SPWeb

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DEMO Working with SharePoint
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Is there an easier way?

• That requires some API knowledge that Id rather
  not have
• More Developer focused than Administrative

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PowerShell Packaging

• Scripts
• PowerShell code in a PS1 (similar to .bat files)
• Snapins
• Like Solutions in SharePoint, they hold a lot
• Compiled into dlls
• CmdLets
• Like Features in SharePoint, performs a task
• Can be compiled or in script (v2 only)

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Making yourself at (home)

• Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
• .bashrc
• .tcshrc
• .whatEverKSHuses
• Be lazy, profile tells you where to go
• PSgt notepad profile
• Common Uses
• Custom prompt()
• Load custom variables and scripts
• For Us? Store all those great SharePoint Commands

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DEMO Packaging get-SPWeb
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Working with SPLists

• Display all the Lists
• web.Lists
• Getting a specific List
• list web.ListsTasks
• Getting all the Items
• list.Items
• Display Properties Sorted by Name
• item.Properties sort prop Name
• Set an items properties
• item.PropertiesSomeKey value
• item.Properties.Update()

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DEMO Working with a Task List
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Exploring the Object Model

• Many objects to choose from
• Search
• Profiles
• Unfamiliar objects require the SDK as reference
• Or a kind person to wrap them

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DEMO Exploring the Object Model
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Extending the Object Model

• Updating Types
• Similar to Extension Types
• Add-Member
• Add new Methods/Properties to an instance
• Use ps1xml file to make changes semi-permanent
  and always applied for a specific .NET type

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DEMO Using Type Extensions
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Implementing Disposal

• Some SharePoint Objects are Messy
• SPWeb, SPSite,
• Object that implement IDisposable
• Need to get Dispose()d
• Free memory and connections
• Very Difficult in PowerShell

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Introducting the cleaner

• Add-DisposableItem
• PowerShell Filter
• Adds any IDisposable object to a list
• Can be used Inline (ex site.AllWebs)
• Dispose-DisposableItems
• Calls Dispose() on all objects in the List
• Still in Testing, Your Mileage My Vary
• Consult Owners Manual

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DEMO IDisposable
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Working with SharePoint Remotely

• Use the Web Services and RPC
• Both are hard to use without some help
• Web Services are easy with new-webserviceproxy.ps1

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DEMO Remoting SharePoint
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PowerShell v2 Enhancements

• V2 Timeline
• CTP 3 in December
• RTM in Late 09 Early 2010
• Remote Command Execution
• SharePoint might not be remoteable, but
  PowerShell is
• Easier to Share Code
• Code based CmdLets and Modules
• Advanced Language Features
• Native ability to run multiple processes in the
  background

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Tools to make your life easier

• PowerTab
• PowerShell Community Extensions
• PowerShell Analyzer
• PoshConsole
• PowerShell Plus

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Your Feedback is Important

• Please fill out a session evaluation form and
  either put them in the basket near the exit or
  drop them off at the conference registration
  desk.
• Thank you!

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References

• PowerShell Building Blocks for SharePoint
• PowerShell Community Extensions
• PoshCode.org
• New-webserviceproxy.ps1

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Questions?
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Thanks!

• Neil Iversen
• Inetium
• http//justaddcode.com