Summary
This chapter introduced writing scripts and functions, including brief guidance on establishing a style, followed by an exploration of the small differences between scripts, functions, and script blocks.
Parameters are used to accept user input for scripts, functions, and script blocks. The param
block can be used to define the list of parameters.
Named blocks are used when acting on pipeline input. Each block executes at a different point in the pipeline lifecycle. The function
and filter
keywords use a different default named block but otherwise have identical functionality. The begin
block in all commands in a pipeline executes before a pipeline starts, the process
block executes once for each value passed from one function to another, and the end
block executes once for each function after the last pipeline value is passed.
The cleanup
block was very briefly introduced as an up-and-coming feature—hopefully, one that will make it into PowerShell 7 soon...