Weekend Scripter: Understanding PowerShell in Windows 8

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Summary : Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson, talks about understanding Windows PowerShell 3.0 in Windows 8.
Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson, is here. It is an exciting and great day! I have been working a bit to solidify the editorial calendar for the Hey, Scripting Guy! Blog. I can say that there are some absolutely awesome posts coming up in the next couple months. I am not just saying this because I am writing them. Nope. I have a great lineup of guest writers. The upcoming stuff will simply rock!
Windows 8 posh stuff…
One of the really great things about Windows 8 is the implementation of Windows PowerShell 3.0. But many of the really cool commands (cmdlets or functions) are not strictly Windows PowerShell 3.0. For example, one function I use on a regular basis when I am traveling is Get-NetAdapter . This command tells me if a network adapter is up. Because I toggle my wireless and my Ethernet adapter connections (on or off depending on the network), I often need to see if a particular adapter is up.
Another function I use a lot when I am traveling is the Get-NetConnectionProfile function. This tells me how a particular network adapter has been identified by the operating system. I can modify the profile by using Set-NetConnectionProfile . I need to use this a lot when I am traveling and I want to demonstrate Windows PowerShell.
Neither of the two previously mentioned functions are part of Windows PowerShell 3.0, per se. They are included in modules that ship with Windows 8. The associated modules are shown here:
PS C:\> Get-Command Get-NetConnectionProfile, Get-NetAdapter

CommandType Name ModuleName
----------- ---- ----------
Function Get-NetConnectionProfile NetConnection
Function Get-NetAdapter NetAdapter
Am I being pedantic? If so, it is not my intention. It is important to know where specific functionality arises, so that when I install Windows PowerShell 3.0 onto a computer running Windows 7, I will know what to expect. This concept will be important when Windows 8.1 ships with Windows PowerShell 4.0 because Windows PowerShell 4.0 in Windows 8.1 will expose certain cmdlets and functions that may not be available if I install Windows PowerShell 4.0 on a down-level system.
Emulating capability
With all the great commands in Windows 8, it is easy to forget that the capability comes from modules that ship with the operating system, and that they are not part of Windows PowerShell 3.0 core installation...(read more)