For several years, I have been using a PowerShell module I wrote called MyTickle to help me manage my reminders and events. I spend my days at a PowerShell prompt, and I wanted an easy way to keep track of upcoming events. The module relied on a SQL Server or SQL Server Express instance to…
Category: GitHub
GitHub Scripting Challenge Solution
Earlier this year I appeared on the PowerShell Podcast. I ended the interview with a scripting challenge. The Core Challenge Using whatever tools and techniques you want, write a PowerShell function that will query the Issues section of a GitHub repository and create output showing the number of open issues by label and the percentage…
Hey PSGallery, What’s New?
I am a Cmdlet and Module Working Group member that helps triage Github issues for PowerShell. Like all of you, resources are limited, and Microsoft can only take on so much work. We often see requests for new or enhanced cmdlets. Often, we recognize the value, but it comes down to prioritizing and criticality. Even…
Better Active Directory Reporting with PowerShell
I’ve been using Active Directory for over 20 years. I was even one of the first 2000 IT Pros worldwide to obtain an MCSE on Windows 2000. Over the years, I’ve used a variety of management tools from command-line tools, to VBScript, and eventually PowerShell. Like many of you, I’ve used the ActiveDirectory module from…
PowerShell Property Sets to the Rescue
if you are like me and spend most of your day at a PowerShell prompt, anything that simplifies that process is worth the time to learn or set up. Even though I am a decent typist, I am more than happy to find ways to type less at a PowerShell prompt. I already take advantage…
PowerShell Reminders now in Beta
For awhile now I’ve been working on a PowerShell project that I use every day. I am always in a PowerShell prompt and because I always seem to have little things like phone calls or family events that I need to keep track of, I wrote a “tickler” system. The events are stored in a…
Creating a Github Gist with PowerShell
Recently I posted a PowerShell tool for creating a GitHub repository. In continuing my exploration of the GitHub API I wrote another PowerShell tool to create a GitHub gist. A gist is simple way to store and share snippets or code samples. I use them to share simple PowerShell scripts or other works that aren’t…
Creating a GitHub Repository from PowerShell
I’ve been continuing to work with the GitHub API in PowerShell. Today I have a function you can use to create a new GitHub repository. Of course you will need to have a GitHub account and another piece of critical information, but after that it is quite easy to create new repositories. This makes it…
Managing LMHosts with PowerShell
I’ve been in IT for a long time. It has been exciting to see how the industry has changed and how it as adapted to new technologies. Even so, I appreciate situations where sometimes the “old ways” are still the best ways. For example, we no longer really need the ancient lmhosts file to help…
Introducing a PowerShell To-Do Manager
I don’t know about you but I always have a PowerShell session open and find it easier to manage my day right from a prompt. I find ways to use PowerShell whenever I can. Recently I started a project to help me manage my work and of course I created it in PowerShell. I had…
Friday Fun: Timing is Everything
For today’s fun I want to introduce you to a PowerShell project I’ve been working on. As with many of these Friday Fun projects this is something that is hardly groundbreaking but it could be fun to use and hopefully serves an educational purpose. What I have is a module called MyTimer that contains several…
Downloading Git Tips with PowerShell
So I’ve been sharing a number of PowerShell tools I’ve created for working with Git, including a few for getting tips from the Git Tips project on GitHub. My initial work was based on the fact that I had a local clone of that repository and wanted to search the local tips.json file. But I…
Memory Reporting with PowerShell
I’ve started a new project and I’m hoping a few of you will give it a spin and let me know how it works for you. I’ve created a PowerShell module called MemoryTools that uses a few WMI classes and performance counters to provide insight into memory utilization and configuration on your servers. The module…
Creating Class Based PowerShell Tools Demos
During my recent trip to Sweden, I had an opportunity to do a presentation for the PowerShell User Group Sweden. It was a big turn out and I appreciate everyone who attended. My talk was on using the new class feature in PowerShell 5.0 to create new types of PowerShell tools. Classes were introduced to…
PowerShell ISE Remote Possibilities
Normally, I think of the PowerShell ISE as a script development tool. I typically don’t think of it as a daily management tool, primarily because everything shares the same scope and if you are running scripts and aren’t careful can sometimes lead to unexpected results. But the ISE feature I really like is the ability…