PowerShell Plus

PowerShell can be a complex language to learn, but with the right tools, it can be easier than ever. In this review, we’ll take a look at the free PowerShell editor and tools offered by IDERA, and explain how they can make learning PowerShell even faster.

One of the standout features of the PowerShell editor and tools is the interactive Learning Center. This center guides users through short tutorials that cover basic concepts at their own pace. Additionally, the Learning Center also includes dynamically created help topics from currently installed PowerShell cmdlets, snap-ins, modules, providers, and Windows management instrumentation (WMI) objects.

For those who want to jump right into coding, the powerful Integrated Development Environment (IDE) allows users to execute PowerShell commands quickly and accurately. The Console feature lets users work interactively with PowerShell from a feature-rich Windows user interface (UI), while the Start page offers easy access to tasks, recent files, and getting started topics. Plus, many productivity tools, including system explorer, variable monitor, code snippets, command history, and remoting, are available.

Accessing pre-loaded scripts is another great feature of the PowerShell editor and tools. The QuickClick Library provides access to hundreds of scripts for SQL Server, SharePoint, Active Directory, and Exchange, among other categories. The tree-structure organization lets users execute scripts in the Interactive Console, edit in the Code Editor, and publish as self-contained extensible markup language (XML) documents that can be shared with colleagues and friends.

Finally, the advanced script editor and debugger make building and testing complex PowerShell scripts easier than ever. Users can try one-line PowerShell commands from an embedded console, and sign their script with a security certificate, all from a single workspace. Editor and encoding features include code folding, bookmarks, breakpoints, formatting, find and replace, and much more.

Overall, the free PowerShell editor and tools offered by IDERA provide an interactive and comprehensive learning experience, as well as robust tools for executing, editing, and debugging PowerShell scripts. The QuickClick Library and advanced script editor are particularly useful features for those who are looking to streamline their PowerShell workflow.