In a previous posting on behaviour-driven programming, I quickly referenced 'Uncle Bob' Robert C. Martin's website where he outlines the SOLID Principles.

I wanted to expand upon that and provide a few more helpful links.

The best examples I have seen that demonstrates these principles can be found in a series of short videos on DimeCasts.net.

• 88 - Creating SOLID Code: Single Responsibility Principle (SRP)
• 90 - Creating SOLID Code: Open/Closed Principle (OCP)
• 92 - Creating SOLID Code: Liskov Substitution Principle
• 94 - Creating SOLID Code: Interface Segregation Principle
• 96 - Creating SOLID Code: Dependency Inversion Principle

Scott Hanselman too has a number of podcasts where he is directly interviewing 'Uncle Bob': Hanselminutes Podcast 145 - SOLID Principles with Uncle Bob - Robert C. Martin

When I listened to this podcast, I was quite pleased to hear and have my personal experience validated when 'Uncle Bob' rated the Single Responsibility Principle as the most important. In my personal experience, and in the experience of a number of my colleagues, this principle alone has had the largest positive effect in the quest to write cleaner and more intuitive code.

Hanselminutes Podcast 150 - Uncle Bob Martin, this time with feeling

And a more recent podcast discussing the related topic of professionalism.

Hanselminutes Podcast 171 - The Return of Uncle Bob

The following useful information is primarily taken from the Windows PowerShell Language Quick Reference (QuadFold.rtf) documentation.

Automatic Variables

PowerShell includes the following in-built variables:

Variable Declaration

Variables and other data elements may be instantiated in different scopes:

• Variables in the global scope are visible in all scopes.
• Variables in the script scope are visible to all scopes within that script file.
• Variables in the local scope are visible only in the current scope and its children.
• Private scope variables are visible only to that current scope.

A scope is created in the body of a shell function.

Format:

$[scope:]name or ${anyname} or ${any path}

Examples:

$a = 1
$global:a = 1    # Visible everywhere
$local:a = 1    # defined in this scope and visible to children
$private:a=1    # same as local but invisible to child scopes
$script:a=1    # visible to everything in this script
$env:path = "d:\windows"
${C:\TEMP\testfile.txt}="This writes to a file"
Get-Variable -scope 1 a    #Gets value from the parent scope
Get-Variable -scope 2 a    # grandparent

Type Declaration

Variables also can be declared as specific data type by prefixing the variable declaration with the data type.

A variable's type also can be declared as a .NET Framework class by using the full class name. For example:

[System.Int32] $amount = 1234

When you install PowerShell, documentation is also installed. This documentation can be found under the following folder:

Start Menu ➞ All Programs ➞ Windows PowerShell 1.0 ➞ Documents ➞ en-US

The Windows PowerShell Getting Started Guide (GettingStarted.rtf) is a 32-page introduction to using the shell and the Windows PowerShell scripting language.

The Windows PowerShell Primer (UserGuide.rtf) is a companion document to the Getting Started Guide. It describes the features of Windows PowerShell and the Windows PowerShell scripting language with examples of how to use the new shell.

The Windows PowerShell Language Quick Reference (QuadFold.rtf) is a one-page foldable guide to the Windows PowerShell scripting language.

A "Hello World" script is probably a good starting point.

Start PowerShell from Start Menu ➞ All Programs ➞ Windows PowerShell 1.0 ➞ Windows PowerShell.

At the PowerShell command prompt, the command "Help" shows the various commands and aliases that are available in PowerShell.

The command "Write-Host Hello World" will essentially do the same as the old Command Prompt "echo" command - which is great for our purpose here. But that is too easy... we want a script!

In a text editor, create a text file named "test.ps1" and save it to the current path within PowerShell. Add the following text to the file and save it.

Write-Host Hello World

Back in the PowerShell window, how do we run the script?

Just typing the "test.ps1" produces the following error.

The term 'test.ps1' is not recognized as a cmdlet, function, operable program, or script file. Verify the term and try again.
At line:1 char:8      
+ test.ps1 <<<<

Instead, the name of the script needs to be prefixed with a period followed by a forward or backwards slash.

Run the command "./test.ps1".

Since we haven't digitally signed the script, another error appears.

File test.ps1 cannot be loaded because the execution of scripts is disabled on this system. Please see "get-help about_signing" for more details.
At line:1 char:10      
+ ./test.ps1 <<<<

This error occurs because by default the execution policy that affects all users on a machine is set (in the Windows Registry) such that unsigned scripts are disabled.

The command "Get-ExecutionPolicy" shows the current policy about executing scripts. Currently it is set to "Restricted".

The command "Get-Help Set-ExecutionPolicy" provides general information about the Set-ExecutionPolicy command.

The command "Get-Help Set-ExecutionPolicy -detailed" provides more detailed information about the Set-ExecutionPolicy command.

The command "Get-Help Set-ExecutionPolicy -full" provides the most information about the Set-ExecutionPolicy command.

The command "Set-ExecutionPolicy -executionPolicy RemoteSigned" will set the policy such that only scripts that are downloaded from the internet are required to be signed by a trusted publisher.

However, on Windows Vista the following error occurs because it requires escalated privileges.

Set-ExecutionPolicy : Access to the registry key 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1ShellIds\Microsoft     
.PowerShell' is denied.      
At line:1 char:20      
+ Set-ExecutionPolicy <<<< -executionPolicy RemoteSigned

The easiest way to change the execution policy in Vista is to start PowerShell from the start menu by right-clicking and selecting "Run as Administrator". From within that PowerShell the Set-ExecutionPolicy command will work. Close that window after executing the command.

Finally we can then successfully execute the script with the command "./test.ps1", and it actually works!