Archive for May 2011
In response to the comment about using IsePack
A recommendation for using PowerShellPack’s IsePack Copy-ColoredAsHtml has been made in the comment to my post. I’m not a big fan of this huge package, but this is worth testing for publishing.
I use the same code copy-pasted from an ISE tab:
cls
#region WordPress posting code test
#this is a test of Powershell code coloring
[string]$stringVar1 = "string 1";
[string]$private:stringVar2 = 'string 2';
[string]$script:stringVar3=
@'
string data
'@
[scriptblock]$global:sb = {{Write-Host scriptblock}.Invoke();};
function
write1{Write-Host $stringVar1;}
function private:write2
{param([string]$str2 = '')
Write-Host $str2;}
function script:write3
#this is a function
{
Write-Host $script:stringVar3;
}
function global:Print-SB
{
<#
.SYNOPSIS
This is a code coloring test.
.DESCRIPTION
This test function represents an advanced Powershell function syntax.
.PARAMETER Param
Demonstrates how a scriptblock can be passed as a reference.
.EXAMPLE
PS C:\> Print-SB ([ref]$sb)
#>
[CmdletBinding()]
param(
[Parameter(Position=0, Mandatory=$true)]
[ref]$Param
)
Begin{}
Process{$Param.Value.Invoke()}
End{}
}
write1
private:write2 $private:stringVar2;
script:write3
Print-SB ([ref]$global:sb)
#endregion WordPress posting code test
Below is the result of IsePack code preparation:
cls #region WordPress posting code test #this is a test of Powershell code coloring [string]$stringVar1 = "string 1"; [string]$private:stringVar2 = 'string 2'; [string]$script:stringVar3= @' string data '@ [scriptblock]$global:sb = {{Write-Host scriptblock}.Invoke();}; function write1{Write-Host $stringVar1;} function private:write2 {param([string]$str2 = '') Write-Host $str2;} function script:write3 #this is a function { Write-Host $script:stringVar3; } function global:Print-SB { Print-SB ([ref]$sb) #> [CmdletBinding()] param( [Parameter(Position=0, Mandatory=$true)] [ref]$Param ) Begin{} Process{$Param.Value.Invoke()} End{} } write1 private:write2 $private:stringVar2; script:write3 Print-SB ([ref]$global:sb) #endregion WordPress posting code test
This looks great and very similar to the hand-made colored code from my post. But who has stolen my advanced function’s comment?! 🙂 All the text between <# and C:\> inclusively erased as a cow licked out.
A hand-made script-to-form converter (sooner a sample than a tool)
With eternal love to automation, I began today a small project aiming to help creation of PowerShell GUI forms. This post is the first step, will or won’t I do the next is not clearly even to me.
A year ago I wrote something like this. It was a PropertiesBrowser module/add-on, which I used as the Watches window, typical of any IDE, sometimes. It hasn’t been published, though.
Having today morning an hour or slightly more, I decided to write a post mostly to test the new smartbook I own the third day, but at the same time I caught what I want. A simple form generator.
How should it work? Almost every script produces an output. Strings, numbers, boolean, objects, all what may return a PowerShell code. Why don’t allow the scripter to put it on a form without an effort? Sound like a GUI modeling tool (but looks much more uglyer).
Here it is, the code giving some output and used as a sample:
cls
Set-StrictMode -Version Latest
Import-Module FormGen -Force
[int]$i = 3;
Set-OutputToForm $i
Set-OutputToForm $i -SuppressLabel $true
Set-OutputToForm $i -Description "int"
$f = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Form
Set-OutputToForm $f;
$a = @("s", "T");
Set-OutputToForm $a $false "Array"
Get-ChildItem | Select-Object -First 3 | %{Set-OutputToForm $_ -Description "fileinfo of $($_.FullName)";}
1..2 | %{Set-OutputToForm $_;}
Get-ChildItem | Select-Object -First 1 | %{Set-OutputToForm $_ -Description "fileinfo of $($_.FullName)" -ControlType 'System.Windows.Forms.ListView';}
Get-ChildItem | Select-Object -First 1 | %{Set-OutputToForm $_ -Description "fileinfo of $($_.FullName)" -ControlType 'System.Windows.Forms.TreeView';}
Get-ChildItem | Select-Object -First 1 | %{Set-OutputToForm $_ -Description "fileinfo of $($_.FullName)" -ControlType 'System.Windows.Forms.ComboBox';}
Show-Result;
As can be seen, there is the FormGen module and two functions exported from it, Set-OutputToForm and Show-Result. While the former adds data to a form still invisible, the latter, to be used once, displays the form.
Set-StrictMode -Version Latest
[int]$script:topPosition = 0;
[System.Windows.Forms.Form]$script:frmMain = `
New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Form;
$script:frmMain.Width = 500;
function Set-OutputToForm
{
Set-OutputToForm $data
PS> 1..10 | %{Set-OutputToForm $_;}
PS> Get-ChildItem | %{Set-OutputToForm $_ -SuppressLabel $true; $null;}
.Notes
Author: Alexander Petrovskiy
#>
[CmdletBinding()]
param([Parameter(Mandatory=$true,ValueFromPipeline=$true)]
[ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()]
$InputObject,
[bool]$SuppressLabel = $false,
[string]$Description = "",
[string]$ControlType = ""
)
Begin{}
Process{
[bool]$result = $false;
try{
if (-not $SuppressLabel)
{
[System.Windows.Forms.Label]$private:label = `
New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label;
$script:topPosition += 10;
$private:label.Top = $script:topPosition;
$private:label.Left = 50;
$private:label.Width = $script:frmMain.Width - 50;
$private:label.Visible = $true;
if ($Description.Length -gt 0)
{
$private:label.Text = $Description;
}
else
{
$private:label.Text = $InputObject.GetType().ToString();
}
$script:frmMain.Controls.Add($private:label);
$script:topPosition += $private:label.Height;
}
[bool]$private:useCustomControl = $false;
[System.Windows.Forms.Control]$private:ctrl = `
New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Control;
if ($ControlType.Length -gt 0)
{
try{[System.Windows.Forms.Control]$private:ctrl =
New-Object $ControlType;
$private:useCustomControl = $true;
}catch{$private:useCustomControl = $false;}
}
#of which type these data?
#an array?
if ($InputObject -is [System.Array])
{
if (-not $private:useCustomControl){
[System.Windows.Forms.ListBox]$private:ctrl = `
New-Object System.Windows.Forms.ListBox;}
for($private:i = 0; $private:i -lt $InputObject.Length;
$private:i++)
{
if ($private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.ListBox] -or `
$private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.ComboBox] -or `
$private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.ListView]){
$private:ctrl.Items.Add($InputObject[$private:i]);}
if ($private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.TreeView]){
$private:ctrl.Nodes.Add($InputObject[$private:i]);}
}
}
#a string? int one? other simple type?
elseif ($InputObject.GetType().BaseType.Name -eq 'ValueType')
{
if (-not $private:useCustomControl){
[System.Windows.Forms.Label]$private:ctrl = `
New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label;}
if ($private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.ListBox] -or `
$private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.ComboBox] -or `
$private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.ListView]){
$private:ctrl.Items.Add($InputObject.ToString());}
if ($private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.TreeView]){
$private:ctrl.Nodes.Add($InputObject.ToString());}
if ($private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.Label] -or `
$private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.TextBox]){
$private:ctrl.Text = $InputObject.ToString();}
}
else
{
if (-not $private:useCustomControl){
[System.Windows.Forms.PropertyGrid]$private:ctrl = `
New-Object System.Windows.Forms.PropertyGrid;}
if ($private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.PropertyGrid]){
$private:ctrl.SelectedObject = $InputObject;}
if ($private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.ListBox] -or `
$private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.ComboBox] -or `
$private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.ListView]){
$private:ctrl.Items.Add($InputObject.ToString());}
if ($private:ctrl -is [System.Windows.Forms.TreeView]){
$private:ctrl.Nodes.Add($InputObject.ToString());}
}
#common properties
$private:ctrl.Left = 50;
$private:ctrl.Top = $script:topPosition;
$private:ctrl.Visible = $true;
$script:frmMain.Controls.Add($private:ctrl);
$script:topPosition += $private:ctrl.Height;
}catch{}
$result = $true;
return $result;}
End{}
}
function Show-Result
{
$script:frmMain.Height = $script:topPosition + 40;
$script:frmMain.ShowDialog() | Out-Null;
}
Export-ModuleMember -Function Set-OutputToForm, Show-Result;
Need to repeat, this is sooner a concept than a ready-to-use tool, so that use it as is. Probably, I’ll update it. The current version attached here.
Although it’s not an advantage for powershellers, I’m proud that at least a half of this code was written on my Android smartbook. This means that I can write from more places than I could before. I have had for two years a netbook, but without 3G and its keyboard was damaged on travel. Gladly, now I can write on the go again, with the actually mobile device.
PowerShell In GUI Blog 
