A Favorite PowerShell ISE Feature: Script Browser

Doctor Scripto

Summary: Sean Kearney shows you how to browse the TechNet Script Repository from the PowerShell ISE.

Honorary Scripting Guy, Sean Kearney, is here today to introduce you to a pretty cool feature that is available in the Windows PowerShell ISE. It’s an add-on called the Script Browser.

   Note   This is a five-part series that includes the following posts about features in the Windows PowerShell ISE:

• Script Analyzer
  Download a free tool for examining your script
• Script Browser
  Browse the TechNet Script Repository from the Windows PowerShell ISE
• Module Browser
  Access modules in the PowerShell Gallery
• Snippets
  Get sample code in the Windows PowerShell ISE
• Remote Text File Editing
  Bring file editing to the Windows PowerShell ISE

The Script Browser came with my installation yesterday when I dropped in the Script Analyzer. I referenced its existence, but I didn’t show it to you.

After the installation, in the Add-On Tools panel, you’ll see an option you can click called Script Browser:

When you are in this tool, you have the ability to enter your search criteria (the wildcard character is accepted), for example:

You can sort by criteria including Relevance, Popularity, Release Date, Downloads, Ratings, Title, and Author. In the current example, I am sorting strictly on the popularity of Active Directory scripts in the Repository.

When I hit ENTER, the Script Browser queries the Repository and present the following results:

If I click a selection, I have the option to download the script (if it is stored in the Repository), or I can simply copy the script into the ISE Script panel.

By default, scripts will download into my user profile folder as shown here:

This location can be chosen and customized by clicking the gear icon from the Script Browser tab.

In the same settings area, you can provide proxy and authentication settings for your firewall, if needed.

I love using this tool to try to find scripts. It’s far more convenient than the old process of browse, download, open, edit, play because I can now put scripts directly into my ISE.

Afterwards, I can use the Script Analyzer to at least see if it’s somewhat close to good practices in design.

Stop in tomorrow when I’ll look at another free tool that will make the Windows PowerShell ISE even more useful to you.

I invite you to follow the Scripting Guys on Twitter and Facebook. If you have any questions, send email to them at scripter@microsoft.com, or post your questions on the Official Scripting Guys Forum. See you tomorrow. Until then, always remember that with great PowerShell comes great responsibility.

Sean Kearney, Honorary Scripting Guy, Cloud and Datacenter Management MVP 

Doctor Scripto Scripter, PowerShell, vbScript, BAT, CMD

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