July 21, 2022 Community Call

[SydneyhSmith]

Agenda:

• PowerShell 7.3 preview 6 @SteveL-MSFT
• PowerShellGet preview @SydneyhSmith
• Demo Get-WhatsNew @theJasonHelmick @sdwheeler
• Docs Update @sdwheeler
• PowerShell module paths @mgreenegit
• Using OpenAI to convert to/from another language and PowerShell @dfinke (postponed)
• Archive rewrite update @ayousuf23
• VSCode walkthrough update @S-Hakim
• MU update @StevenBucher98
• Community corner update @theJasonHelmick
• Contribute to PowerShell using GitHub codespaces @JustinGrote

Please add topics/demos/questions

[SteveL-MSFT]

Doug Finke to demo using OpenAI to convert to/from another language and PowerShell

[ehmiiz]

PowerShell/PowerShell#17067

Would be helpful if this could be mentioned and the teams thoughts around it

[KevinMarquette]

Ran into this one recently. When using $ErrorView = "NormalView", errors don't have color info so they blend in with standard output: PowerShell/PowerShell#16665

Any thoughts on allowing the creation of custom ErrorViews? I feel like I have to spend time customizing how errors are displayed quite often.

[JustinGrote]

Ran into this one recently. When using $ErrorView = "NormalView", errors don't have color info so they blend in with standard output: PowerShell/PowerShell#16665

Any thoughts on allowing the creation of custom ErrorViews? I feel like I have to spend time customizing how errors are displayed quite often.

I think the biggest issue is that the errorview list is an enum today, so it would take a breaking change to make it modular, unless the enum is set to something like 'Customview' and the details kept somewhere else.

[iSazonov]

Thanks to MSFT team for making Monday a community day. Progress is evident!!!

The next suggestion is to add one community day a year at least :-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

[theJasonHelmick]

@SydneyhSmith - May I add myself and Sean to mention * Demo - Get-WhatsNew

[JustinGrote]

Plenty of demos but I have a PR for being able to contribute to PowerShell using Github Codespaces I can show off if there ends up being time, put it at the bottom of the list.

[theJasonHelmick]

@SydneyhSmith -- Adding the Community Update Corner -- from Mikes email. Will do it before Justin's demo.
VSCode walkthrough update @S-Hakim
• Community Update Corner
• Contribute to PowerShell using GitHub codespaces @JustinGrote

[ili101]

Kind of a last minute thing but I wanted your inputs.
Writing PowerShell modules is fun but can be tedious to set up, as far as I can see there is no intuitive and inviting template out there. Tell me if you know one?
I was thinking of updating my Template project and wanted to ask what tools and best practices do you use and potentially if someone want to collaborate? Info ili101/Module.Template#8

[SteveL-MSFT]

@ili101 we do have this already: https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShellStandard/tree/master/src/dotnetTemplate

[ili101]

@SteveL-MSFT Interesting, but I was thinking of something that is focused more on native PowerShell modules and not C# (maybe add support for C# later)

[SteveL-MSFT]

@SteveL-MSFT Interesting, but I was thinking of something that is focused more on native PowerShell modules and not C# (maybe add support for C# later)

Ah, you mean modules written in PowerShell script. I would think there's already some community work around that?

[ili101]

Ah, you mean modules written in PowerShell script. I would think there's already some community work around that?

I didn't find something that is similar to what I described in ili101/Module.Template#8 but if there is please share.
There are for example https://github.com/PoshCode/ModuleBuilder/tree/main/Templates/Dotnet/ModuleBuilderModule but this is only the build part of all the things I described.

[StevenBucher98]

To clarify the MU updates, users will not be offered to upgrade to preview 5 if they dismiss the latest upgrade (preview 6) once it is released. No manual updates are needed. Preview 6 is the latest MU upgrade and will roll out early next week. Apologies for confusion.

[SteveL-MSFT]

@ili101 this was discussed on the call (not sure if you were on it) and there seems to be several existing solutions already you can look at or contribute to

[JustinGrote]

@ili101 The only semi-official templating solution is Plaster but its very old and needs a revamp.

I am making an attempt at a spiritual successor called Mortar that uses the .NET templating engine. It's in the gallery now for testing but VERY beta
https://github.com/justingrote/mortar
https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/Mortar/0.2.0-beta0007

Other community options:
Stucco (PSake/PowerShellBuild-based) - https://github.com/devblackops/Stucco
Press (InvokeBuild-based) - https://github.com/justingrote/Press
ModuleBuilder - https://github.com/PoshCode/ModuleBuilder

[ili101]

I will try to compare some of the suggested modules, maybe make a compare list (some looks unmaintained).
@JustinGrote I was trying to evaluate your modules first but can't.
Mortar - cannot be run (fixing this error I get more errors).
Press - Also seems to have cool features but again, no instruction on how to set up, trying to build Mortar or SecretManagement.KeePass as an example literally crash PowerShell itself with "Stack overflow." error.

Will be nice if you can make a basic Mortar example work and buildable with Press so we can get the basic concept of them👍.

[JustinGrote]

@ili101 as mentioned it's in progress and VERY beta :)