I’m old school. I’m a big fan of the “Real men don’t click” club!
My PowerShell bestie, Michaja van der Zouwen, is all about the GUI! We would go back and forth about to GUI or not to GUI… Good times…
We got a great introduction in creating PowerShell GUI app at the recent DuPSUG meeting by none other than June Blender! Just google June Blender… We’re being spoiled here!
Back in the days June was also part of the “Real (wo)men don’t click” club. So what changed? I can totally relate to June’s story about providing a script that could resolve a contractors problem. Now you would think the manager would be grateful eh? Nope! They weren’t interested in learning or using PowerShell even if it solved their problem. The idea was too daunting for them. Enter GUI.
GUI took away that initial fear of learning something new. “Just run this and click this button!” Doesn’t get easier than that eh? So should we all be creating GUIs? Well you should at least know how to 😉 Hence the workshop!
So I’m not against GUI, but it is a different mindset when creating a GUI app. You really need to think in events. You still need to validate parameters, but you need to anticipate what a user’s next move could be. The user’s move needs to be processed by ‘event-handlers’. With a script I have some parameters, I validate them and I’m good! With a GUI you need to think ahead of what could happen if…
We used Sapien PowerShell Studio to create a small GUI app. June gave us some excellent Gotcha and Aha tips! Sapien PowerShell Studio makes creating the GUI easy! Once the GUI interface was created we added the script logic. The event-handlers are basically script blocks!
Here’s where you need to think ahead:
What do I want happen if the textbox value is empty? Then you shouldn’t be able to click the button. Ok… But what if someone enters spaces only? We should validate that and make sure the value isn’t empty or spaces. But what if there’s a lingering space somewhere? Make sure Trim your textbox value.
Sapien PowerShell Studio makes it easy to export the complete script. Just go to Deploy -> “Export To Clipboard”. Paste in ISE and run it! Works! Have look at the script, there’s a lot going on under the hood… Imagine creating that by hand…
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| #———————————————————————— | |
| # Source File Information (DO NOT MODIFY) | |
| # Source ID: 0e2b4026-3710-4ec0-8aef-f79ad0cbfae0 | |
| # Source File: C:\scripts\forms\demo.psf | |
| #———————————————————————— | |
| <# | |
| .NOTES | |
| ——————————————————————————– | |
| Code generated by: SAPIEN Technologies, Inc., PowerShell Studio 2015 v4.2.95 | |
| Generated on: 10/15/2015 12:24 AM | |
| Generated by: Irwin | |
| Organization: Centric | |
| ——————————————————————————– | |
| .DESCRIPTION | |
| GUI script generated by PowerShell Studio 2015 | |
| #> | |
| #———————————————- | |
| #region Application Functions | |
| #———————————————- | |
| #endregion Application Functions | |
| #———————————————- | |
| # Generated Form Function | |
| #———————————————- | |
| function Call-demo_psf { | |
| #———————————————- | |
| #region Import the Assemblies | |
| #———————————————- | |
| [void][reflection.assembly]::Load('mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089') | |
| [void][reflection.assembly]::Load('System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089') | |
| [void][reflection.assembly]::Load('System.Windows.Forms, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089') | |
| [void][reflection.assembly]::Load('System.Data, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089') | |
| [void][reflection.assembly]::Load('System.Drawing, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a') | |
| [void][reflection.assembly]::Load('System.Xml, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089') | |
| [void][reflection.assembly]::Load('System.DirectoryServices, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a') | |
| [void][reflection.assembly]::Load('System.Core, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089') | |
| [void][reflection.assembly]::Load('System.ServiceProcess, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a') | |
| #endregion Import Assemblies | |
| #———————————————- | |
| #region Generated Form Objects | |
| #———————————————- | |
| [System.Windows.Forms.Application]::EnableVisualStyles() | |
| $formGetServices = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.Form' | |
| $buttonGetService = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.Button' | |
| $textboxComputerName = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.TextBox' | |
| $labelComputerName = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.Label' | |
| $buttonClose = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.Button' | |
| $buttonOK = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.Button' | |
| $InitialFormWindowState = New-Object 'System.Windows.Forms.FormWindowState' | |
| #endregion Generated Form Objects | |
| #———————————————- | |
| # User Generated Script | |
| #———————————————- | |
| $formGetServices_Load={ | |
| #TODO: Initialize Form Controls here | |
| #$buttonGetService.Enabled = $false | |
| $textboxComputerName.Text = $env:COMPUTERNAME | |
| } | |
| $buttonClose_Click={ | |
| #TODO: Place custom script here | |
| $formGetServices.Close() | |
| } | |
| $buttonOK_Click={ | |
| #TODO: Place custom script here | |
| } | |
| $buttonGetService_Click={ | |
| #TODO: Place custom script here | |
| try{ | |
| Get-Service -ComputerName $textboxComputerName.Text.Trim() | Out-GridView -Title "Get Services on $($textboxComputerName.Text.Trim())" | |
| } | |
| catch{ | |
| #[void][reflection.assembly]::Load("System.Windows.Forms, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089") | |
| [void][System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox]::Show("Can't get services on $($textboxComputerName.Text)","ComputerName") | |
| } | |
| } | |
| $textboxComputerName_TextChanged={ | |
| #TODO: Place custom script here | |
| $buttonGetService.Enabled = $false | |
| if ( $textboxComputerName.Text.Trim() -ne "" ) { | |
| $buttonGetService.Enabled = $true | |
| } | |
| } | |
| # –End User Generated Script– | |
| #———————————————- | |
| #region Generated Events | |
| #———————————————- | |
| $Form_StateCorrection_Load= | |
| { | |
| #Correct the initial state of the form to prevent the .Net maximized form issue | |
| $formGetServices.WindowState = $InitialFormWindowState | |
| } | |
| $Form_Cleanup_FormClosed= | |
| { | |
| #Remove all event handlers from the controls | |
| try | |
| { | |
| $buttonGetService.remove_Click($buttonGetService_Click) | |
| $textboxComputerName.remove_TextChanged($textboxComputerName_TextChanged) | |
| $buttonClose.remove_Click($buttonClose_Click) | |
| $buttonOK.remove_Click($buttonOK_Click) | |
| $formGetServices.remove_Load($formGetServices_Load) | |
| $formGetServices.remove_Load($Form_StateCorrection_Load) | |
| $formGetServices.remove_FormClosed($Form_Cleanup_FormClosed) | |
| } | |
| catch [Exception] | |
| { } | |
| } | |
| #endregion Generated Events | |
| #———————————————- | |
| #region Generated Form Code | |
| #———————————————- | |
| $formGetServices.SuspendLayout() | |
| # | |
| # formGetServices | |
| # | |
| $formGetServices.Controls.Add($buttonGetService) | |
| $formGetServices.Controls.Add($textboxComputerName) | |
| $formGetServices.Controls.Add($labelComputerName) | |
| $formGetServices.Controls.Add($buttonClose) | |
| $formGetServices.Controls.Add($buttonOK) | |
| $formGetServices.AcceptButton = $buttonGetService | |
| $formGetServices.ClientSize = '536, 123' | |
| $formGetServices.FormBorderStyle = 'FixedDialog' | |
| $formGetServices.MaximizeBox = $False | |
| $formGetServices.MinimizeBox = $False | |
| $formGetServices.Name = 'formGetServices' | |
| $formGetServices.StartPosition = 'CenterScreen' | |
| $formGetServices.Text = 'Get Services' | |
| $formGetServices.add_Load($formGetServices_Load) | |
| # | |
| # buttonGetService | |
| # | |
| $buttonGetService.Location = '93, 88' | |
| $buttonGetService.Name = 'buttonGetService' | |
| $buttonGetService.Size = '350, 23' | |
| $buttonGetService.TabIndex = 2 | |
| $buttonGetService.Text = 'GetService' | |
| $buttonGetService.UseVisualStyleBackColor = $True | |
| $buttonGetService.add_Click($buttonGetService_Click) | |
| # | |
| # textboxComputerName | |
| # | |
| $textboxComputerName.Location = '172, 26' | |
| $textboxComputerName.Name = 'textboxComputerName' | |
| $textboxComputerName.Size = '352, 20' | |
| $textboxComputerName.TabIndex = 1 | |
| $textboxComputerName.add_TextChanged($textboxComputerName_TextChanged) | |
| # | |
| # labelComputerName | |
| # | |
| $labelComputerName.Location = '12, 29' | |
| $labelComputerName.Name = 'labelComputerName' | |
| $labelComputerName.Size = '125, 23' | |
| $labelComputerName.TabIndex = 0 | |
| $labelComputerName.Text = 'ComputerName' | |
| # | |
| # buttonClose | |
| # | |
| $buttonClose.Location = '12, 88' | |
| $buttonClose.Name = 'buttonClose' | |
| $buttonClose.Size = '75, 23' | |
| $buttonClose.TabIndex = 3 | |
| $buttonClose.Text = '&Close' | |
| $buttonClose.UseVisualStyleBackColor = $True | |
| $buttonClose.add_Click($buttonClose_Click) | |
| # | |
| # buttonOK | |
| # | |
| $buttonOK.Anchor = 'Bottom, Right' | |
| $buttonOK.DialogResult = 'OK' | |
| $buttonOK.Location = '449, 88' | |
| $buttonOK.Name = 'buttonOK' | |
| $buttonOK.Size = '75, 23' | |
| $buttonOK.TabIndex = 4 | |
| $buttonOK.Text = '&OK' | |
| $buttonOK.UseVisualStyleBackColor = $True | |
| $buttonOK.add_Click($buttonOK_Click) | |
| $formGetServices.ResumeLayout() | |
| #endregion Generated Form Code | |
| #———————————————- | |
| #Save the initial state of the form | |
| $InitialFormWindowState = $formGetServices.WindowState | |
| #Init the OnLoad event to correct the initial state of the form | |
| $formGetServices.add_Load($Form_StateCorrection_Load) | |
| #Clean up the control events | |
| $formGetServices.add_FormClosed($Form_Cleanup_FormClosed) | |
| #Show the Form | |
| return $formGetServices.ShowDialog() | |
| } #End Function | |
| #Call the form | |
| Call-demo_psf | Out-Null |
All the script logic can be found under ‘User Generated Script’ comment block. The rest PowerShell Studio took care of…
As an introduction to creating PowerShell GUI scripts, mission accomplished!
Here’s the link to June’s github repository for more information.
Thanks June it was a pleasure meeting you in person! I’m more open to the idea of creating a GUI around scripts, only after putting up a fight though… Old habits die hard… Hehe…
Ttyl,
Urv
pshirwin 