Get up to speed on scripting tools and techniques

This book excerpt from Paraglyph Press offers an excellent overview of scripting and scripting tools.

This introductory chapter to Windows Admin Scripting Little Black Book, Second Edition, lays a solid foundation for understanding scripting techniques and introduces the three major scripting tools that the book focuses on: shell scripting, KiXtart, and Windows Script Host. It begins with an overview of scripts and how they compare to programs. Then it drills down on the scripting tools, discussing their uses and demonstrating each one with a sample script. The chapter puts the tools in perspective by including "when to use" sections:

• Although shell scripting continues to improve over the years, it is best used for simple scripting tasks that do not require complex calculations or extensive file manipulation. To perform more powerful tasks, you should turn to another scripting tool, such as KiXtart or Windows Script Host.


• KiXtart is a great alternative to shell scripting due to its built-in debugging, network, file, and registry functions. It's a perfect solution to simplify complex shell scripting tasks and remains a popular choice for logon scripting. With more and more features being added to every release, KiXtart's capabilities are slowly reaching those of Windows Script Host.


• Windows Script Host can be used to manipulate windows, work with files, modify the registry, and more. By itself, Windows Script Host is best suited for background tasks with little or no interface. When combined with COM automation, WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation), and ADSI (Active Directory Services Interfaces), WSH is a powerful tool that can be used for almost all of your scripting needs.

Title: Windows Admin Scripting Little Black Book, Second Edition
ISBN: ISBN: 1-932111-87-5
Published: January 2004; Paraglyph Press
Author: Jesse M. Torres
Chapter: Chapter 1, The Essentials of Scripting