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PowerShell for IT Pros

Automatic Variables

Test PowerShell Variable for Null, Empty String, and White Space

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Learn the difference between a null, empty string, and white space value for a PowerShell variable and how to test for them.

PowerShell variables without “value”

More often than not, we create variables with the intent they will hold a value. We typically then choose to act upon that value. Therefore, if a variable doesn’t have value, this is something we would want to check against in our conditional logic flow.

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Add Script Flexibility with Relative File Paths

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Folder Contents Screenshot

Using relative file paths for your PowerShell script’s supporting files ensure it continues to work when the script and files get moved around. Here’s how.

Unpredictable File Paths

My first intensive use of PowerShell was for scripting software installations/configurations in SCCM packages. It seemed like every situation called for something above and beyond a straightforward MSI install.

I would develop and test the SCCM package on my local system with a sandbox VM prior to deploying in SCCM. The SCCM client would then download that package to a cached location on each individual client. From development to deployment, I couldn’t guarantee the absolute file path of my script and any supporting files would be constant. I needed my script to be able to figure out where the supporting files were in relation to itself.

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