Windows 7 and Vista Guide to Scripting, Automation, and Command Line Tools

The addition of the mouse and the Graphical User Interface made thecomputer accessible to many more people than would have been possibleotherwise. Still, pointing and clicking can be tedious when performingroutine or repetitive tasks. Just as people learn to use menu shortcuts (the Altkey) to save time, savvy users and administrators learn to write batch files andscripts to avoid having to type the same commands over and over. Scripts savetime, increase accuracy, and serve as documentation to boot.Windows Vista comes with scripting, batch file and command line tools thatcan make a power user or administrator's life easier-if she or he knows whatthey are and how to use them. However, a general lack of information andawareness prevent their widespread use. Most current Windows users have noidea how powerful and effective these tools can be. The new scriptinglanguages are a mystery to most Windows users. And, in Windows Vista, mostcommand line tools aren't even discussed in the Windows Help system.Finally, last year Microsoft released a completely new scripting and commandline environment called the Windows PowerShell. It's available as a freedownload, as an add-on to Windows Vista and XP, but few users are aware ofits existence, let alone its power and potential.