Windows, Javo & Python Scripts

What three distinct Windows shell coding environments are commonly used?

PowerShell; Visual Basic Script; CMD interpreter

What does Windows PowerShell combine?

A script language with hundreds of prebuilt modules called cmdlets

What can PowerShell cmdlets access and change?

Most components and features of Windows and Active Directory

What naming convention do PowerShell cmdlets use?

Verb-Noun

In PowerShell, what does Write-Host do?

Sends output to the terminal

In PowerShell, what does Read-Host do?

Prompts for user input

What does Microsoft provide for rapid PowerShell development?

Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE)

What file extension identifies PowerShell script files?

.ps1

What is VBScript based on, and what does it predate?

Microsoft's Visual Basic programming language; PowerShell

What file extension identifies VBScript files?

.vbs

By default, what interpreter executes VBScript, and how is output displayed?

wscript.exe; output in a desktop window or dialog

How can a VBScript be run to show output in a command prompt?

cscript.exe

What is a shell script written for the basic Windows CMD interpreter often described as?

A batch file

What file extension do batch files use?

.bat

What would you now normally use for Windows automation tasks, and what might you still need to support?

PowerShell; legacy VBScripts

Bash and PowerShell/VBScript are closely tied to which operating systems respectively?

Linux; Windows

What is JavaScript designed to implement?

Interactive web-based content and web apps

Why can JavaScript be executed automatically from a web page?

Most web servers and browsers are configured with a JavaScript interpreter

How can JavaScript be executed automatically on a web page?

Placing it in the HTML code for a web page

If not embedded within another file, what extension identifies JavaScript script files?

.js

What Windows component supports JavaScript?

Windows Script Host (wscript.exe and cscript.exe)

On macOS, what is JavaScript for automation referred to as?

JavaScript for Automation (JXA)

What is Python used to develop?

Automation scripts and software apps

How can a Python project be run or distributed?

Run via an interpreter or compiled as a binary executable

What are examples of Python interpreters mentioned?

CPython; PyPy

Which Python environment is simplest to set up for Windows?

CPython

What extension identifies Python script files?

.py

When using CPython in Windows, what are the console and windowed interpreters?

python.exe; pythonw.exe

What extension is associated with pythonw.exe?

.PYW

What are the two major versions of Python mentioned?

Version 2; version 3

In Linux, what does `python` execute vs `python3`?

Version 2; version 3

As of 2020, what is Python 2 status and what should scripts be updated to?

End of life (EOL); version 3 syntax