This document discusses using PowerShell, Visual Studio Code, and GitHub for IT professionals. It covers the history and differences between PowerShell and PowerShell Core, essential PowerShell modules like Plaster and Pester, configuring and using Visual Studio Code for PowerShell development, Git basics like cloning and committing code, and leveraging the open source community by contributing code and documentation.

1. Working with PowerShell,
Visual Studio Code and Github
for the reluctant IT Pro
Thomas Vochten

2. Special thanks to our yearly sponsors

3. Thomas Vochten
Microsoft MVP. Technical Evangelist.
Solution architect.
@thomasvochten
https://thomasvochten.com
mail@thomasvochten.com

4. Agenda
• PowerShell past, present & future
• Essential PowerShell modules & configuration
• Working with Visual Studio Code
• Getting started with git
• Leverage the power of the community

5. Why exactly would I care?

6. Not just for developers
Decent Tooling Source Control

7. The inconvenient truth…
PowerShell is code too!

8. Why PowerShell?
Many tasks are only available in PowerShell &
Avoiding repetition should be a life goal

9. PowerShell past,
present & future

10. PowerShell is open source
https://github.com/PowerShell

11. PowerShell
• The old and trusted
• .NET Framework
• Windows only
• powershell.exe
• versions 1.0 > 5.1
• continues to be supported
PowerShell Core
• The new kid on the block
• .NET Core
• Cross-platform
• pwsh.exe
• version 6 and beyond
• the way forward

12. PowerShell strategy, modules
& configuration

13. Don’t be an ad hoc scripter that
only solves problems when they arise

14. Have a toolbox!
Aim for a modular approach with
• Reusable tools
• Predictable outcome
• Single responsibility

15. Modules 101
Download manually or use the PowerShell Gallery
https://www.powershellgallery.com
Find-Module
Install-Module
Update-Module
Get-Module

16. Essential modules for tool-making
Plaster
Template-based file and project generator
Pester
Testing framework

17. Demo
Essential PowerShell modules
Plaster & Pester

18. Working with Visual Studio
Code

19. PowerShell editors
Visual Studio Code
the new hotness
PowerShell ISE
deprecated
https://code.visualstudio.com

20. Why Visual Studio Code?
• Intellisense
• Debugging
• Script Analysis
• Built-in git support
• Cross-platform
• Open source
• Highly customizable
• Powerful extensions model

21. Must Have: PowerShell Extension

22. Basic tweaks & customizations
• Install extensions
• PowerShell
• EditorServicesCommandSuite tip
• Configure settings such as color scheme
• Configure snippets
• Add the SharePoint Server “stubs”
https://thvo.me/spstubs (Spencer Harbar)
• Use a PowerShell profile!

23. Demo
Visual Studio Code - essential tweaks & customizations, debugging

24. Getting started with git

25. Git is a free and open source distributed
version control system
https://git-scm.com
(*) Git is not the same as GitHub, you can host git in Azure DevOps or just use it on your machine only…

26. https://ohshitgit.com/

27. Git integration with Visual Studio
• Separate download & install
• Integrated in Visual Studio Code
• Supports most basic git commands
• Commandline for more advanced scenario’s
• Extension supports pull requests

28. Complementing your toolbox
Cmder
Open source console emulator
Git & Linux commands integration
http://cmder.net
Posh-git
PowerShell module for git integration in PowerShell
Install-module posh-git

29. Git Essentials
• Just “downloading” code from the internet (cloning)
• Creating your own version of the code (forking)
• Checking in your changes (commiting)
• Move your changes to the central repository (pushing)
• Getting changes from the central repository (pulling)
• Updating your copy with changes from the source (fetch & merge)

30. Demo
Git Essentials

31. What to learn next?
1. Branching
2. Working with remote repositories
3. Creating pull requests
4. Merging your branch

32. Leverage the power of the
community!

33. Sharing is caring!
Everyone can contribute
• Share the things you’re proud of
• PowerShell scripts & modules
• Samples and tutorials
• Documentation
• …

34. Contributing with git
• Fork the repo you want to contribute to
• Create a branch for your change
• Make & test your changes
• Create a pull request
• Wait for the pull request to be accepted
Learn about pull requests do’s & don’ts…

35. @thomasvochten