PowerShell Start-Demo now allows multi-lines one-liner

Well, I just couldn’t stop making necessary changes to this great presenter tool.  So, now Start-Demo will process your multi-lines one-liners which this couldn’t be done in the previous version.

So, a good example of a one-liner having line continuation, using the Send-MailMessage cmdlet, where we can use the “`” tick to separate the long command line with its parameters:

[sourcecode language=”powershell”]
## – Send email notification:
Send-MailMessage `
-To ‘Userto@Company1.com’ `
-From ‘SenderFrom@Company2.com’ `
-Subject ‘Test send from email’ `
-Body ‘Check email!’ `
-SmtpServer ‘Exchnage.Mailserver.com’
[/sourcecode]

Here’s an example of how it look like using “Start-Demo” in StudioShell:

And, here’s the updated Start-DemoSS.ps1 Version 2.0A 2.0B (02/12/2012):
(apologies for the previous code posted here. It somehow I posted a bad code but I fix it tonight)

[sourcecode language=”powershell”]
###########################################################################
# Original Version: 1.1
# Updated to Version 2.0B, Maximo Trinidad, 02/12/2012
#————————————————————————–
# Comments:
# 1. Customized the foreground color to Cyan and backgroundColor to Black.
# 2. Created a Dump color to default to White.
# 3. Added to put back the default foreground and background colors.
# 4. Commented out the ‘(!) Suspense’ option because Studio Shell can’t
# handle "$host.NestedPrompt".
# 5. Modify the Help menu to acomodate changes.
# 6. Commented out all "$Host.UI.RawUI.WindowTitle".
# 7. Replaced all "[System.Console]::ReadLine()" with "Read-Host".
# 8. Added an end of results ‘write-host"– Press Enter to continue –"’
# follow with a read-host similate a pause.
#
# Modifications:
# 02/10/2012 – Add section identify oneliners with continuation tick "`".
# 02/10/2012 – Cleanup all unused V1 lines.
# 02/10/2012 – Make code to properly display continuation lines.
# 02/12/2012 – Fix info on Start time and duration.
# 02/12/2012 – Adjust execution message spacing.
#
###########################################################################

function Start-Demo
{
param($file=".\demo.txt", [int]$command=0)

## – Saved previous default Host Colors:
$defaultForegroundColor = $host.UI.RawUI.ForegroundColor;
$defaultBackgroundColor = $host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor;

## – Customizing Host Colors:
$host.UI.RawUI.ForegroundColor = "Cyan";
$host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor = "Black";
$CommentColor = "Green"
$MetaCommandColor = "Cyan"
$DumpColor = "White"
$otherColor = "Yellow"
Clear-Host

## – setting demo variables:
$_Random = New-Object System.Random
$_lines = @(Get-Content $file)
$Global:starttime = [DateTime]::now
$_PretendTyping = $true
$_InterkeyPause = 100
$Global:Duration = $null

Write-Host -for $otherColor @"
Start-Demo: $file – Start time: $starttime
Version 2.0B (02/12/2012)
NOTE: Start-Demo replaces the typing but runs the actual commands.
.

"@
$continuation = $false;

# We use a FOR and an INDEX ($_i) instead of a FOREACH because
# it is possible to start at a different location and/or jump
# around in the order.
for ($_i = $Command; $_i -lt $_lines.count; $_i++)
{
if ($_lines[$_i].StartsWith("#"))
{
Write-Host -NoNewLine $("`n[$_i]PS> ")
Write-Host -NoNewLine -Foreground $CommentColor $($($_Lines[$_i]) + " ")
continue
}
else
{
# Put the current command in the Window Title along with the demo duration
$Global:Duration = [DateTime]::Now – $Global:StartTime
Write-Host -NoNewLine $("`n[$_i]PS> ")
$_SimulatedLine = $($_Lines[$_i]) + " "

for ($_j = 0; $_j -lt $_SimulatedLine.Length; $_j++)
{
Write-Host -NoNewLine $_SimulatedLine[$_j]

if ($_PretendTyping)
{
if ([System.Console]::KeyAvailable)
{
$_PretendTyping = $False
}
else
{
Start-Sleep -milliseconds $(10 + $_Random.Next($_InterkeyPause))
};
};

} # For $_j
$_PretendTyping = $true

} # else

if($_Lines[$_i] -notmatch ‘`’)
{
#Write-Host "Yes $($_Lines[$_i])" -BackgroundColor white -ForegroundColor red;
$_input = Read-Host;
} #else { $continuation = $true}

switch ($_input)
{
################ HELP with DEMO
"?"
{
Write-Host -ForeGroundColor Yellow @"
——————————————————————————–
Start-Demo – Updated to Version 2.0B (12/12/2012)
Help Running Demo: $file
.
(#x) Goto Command #x (b) Backup (?) Help
(fx) Find cmds using X (q) Quit (s) Skip
(t) Timecheck (d) Dump demo (px) Typing Pause Interval
.
NOTE 1: Any key cancels "Pretend typing" for that line. Use unless you
want to run a one of these meta-commands.
.
NOTE 2: After cmd output, enter to move to the next line in the demo.
This avoids the audience getting distracted by the next command
as you explain what happened with this command.
.
NOTE 3: The line to be run is displayed in the Window Title BEFORE it is typed.
This lets you know what to explain as it is typing.
.
NOTE 4: Although this script is functional try not to "Goto" a continuation
one-liner or it will go to a continues loop. I will correct this sympton
soon. (02/12/2012)
———————————————————————————
"@;
Write-Host "– Press Enter to continue –" -BackgroundColor white `
-ForegroundColor Magenta;
Read-Host; cls;
$_i -= 1
}

#################### PAUSE
{$_.StartsWith("p")}
{
$_InterkeyPause = [int]$_.substring(1)
$_i -= 1
}

#################### Backup
"b"
{
if($_i -gt 0)
{
$_i —

while (($_i -gt 0) -and ($_lines[$($_i)].StartsWith("#")))
{
$_i -= 1
}
}

$_i —
$_PretendTyping = $false
}

#################### QUIT
"q"
{
Write-Host -ForeGroundColor $OtherColor ""
$host.UI.RawUI.ForegroundColor = $defaultForegroundColor;
$host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor = $defaultBackgroundColor;
cls;
return
}

#################### SKIP
"s"
{
Write-Host -ForeGroundColor $OtherColor ""
}

#################### DUMP the DEMO
"d"
{
for ($_ni = 0; $_ni -lt $_lines.Count; $_ni++)
{
if ($_i -eq $_ni)
{
Write-Host -ForeGroundColor Yellow "$("*" * 25) >Interrupted< $("*" * 25)"
}
Write-Host -ForeGroundColor $DumpColor ("[{0,2}] {1}" -f $_ni, $_lines[$_ni])
}
$_i -= 1
Write-Host "– Press Enter to continue –" -BackgroundColor white `
-ForegroundColor Magenta;
Read-Host; cls;
}

#################### TIMECHECK
"t"
{
$Global:Duration = [DateTime]::Now – $Global:StartTime
Write-Host -ForeGroundColor $OtherColor $("Demo has run {0} Minutes and {1} Seconds`nYou are at line {2} of {3} " `
-f [int]$Global:Duration.TotalMinutes,[int]$Global:Duration.Seconds,$_i,($_lines.Count – 1))
$_i -= 1
}

#################### FIND commands in Demo
{$_.StartsWith("f")}
{
for ($_ni = 0; $_ni -lt $_lines.Count; $_ni++)
{
if ($_lines[$_ni] -match $_.SubString(1))
{
Write-Host -ForeGroundColor $OtherColor ("[{0,2}] {1}" -f $_ni, $_lines[$_ni])
}
}
$_i -= 1
};

##################### SUSPEND # –> not working in StudioShell: help (!) Suspend (not working)
#
# {$_.StartsWith("!")}
# {
# if ($_.Length -eq 1)
# {
# Write-Host -ForeGroundColor $CommentColor ""
# function Prompt {"[Demo Suspended]`nPS>"}
# $host.EnterNestedPrompt()
# }else
# {
# trap [System.Exception] {Write-Error $_;continue;}
# Invoke-Expression $(".{" + $_.SubString(1) + "}| out-host")
# }
# $_i -= 1
# }
# ——————————————————————————–

#################### GO TO
{$_.StartsWith("#")}
{
$_i = [int]($_.SubString(1)) – 1
$Scriptline = $null;
$continuation = $false;
continue
}

#################### EXECUTE
default
{
trap [System.Exception] {Write-Error $_;continue;};
## – 02/10/2012-> Commented out original line below
# Invoke-Expression $(".{" + $_lines[$_i] + "}| out-host")

## – add section identify oneliners with continuation tick:
[string] $Addline = $null;
if($_lines[$_i] -match ‘`’)
{
#Write-Host " Found tick = $($_lines[$_i])" -ForegroundColor yellow;
$Addline = $_lines[$_i].replace(‘`’,”).tostring()
$Scriptline += $Addline;
$continuation = $true;
}
else
{
$Scriptline += $_lines[$_i].ToString();
$continuation = $false;
};
if($continuation -eq $false)
{
## – Executive:
Write-Host " `r`n`t Executing Script…`r`n" -ForegroundColor $otherColor;
Invoke-Expression $(".{" +$Scriptline + "}| out-host")
}
## – ——————————————————————–
if($continuation -eq $false)
{
Write-Host "`r`n";
Write-Host "– Press Enter to continue –" -ForegroundColor Magenta `
-BackgroundColor white;
$Global:Duration = [DateTime]::Now – $Global:StartTime
Read-Host;
$Scriptline = $null;
};
}
} # Switch
} # for
## Next three list to put backl the console default colors and do a clear screen:
$host.UI.RawUI.ForegroundColor = $defaultForegroundColor;
$host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor = $defaultBackgroundColor;
cls;
$Global:Duration = [DateTime]::Now – $Global:StartTime; Write-Host "`r`n";
Write-Host "Start-Demo of $file completed:" -ForegroundColor $otherColor;
Write-Host -ForeGroundColor Yellow $("Total minutes/sec: {0}.{1}, Date: {2}" `
-f [int]$Global:Duration.TotalMinutes, [int]$Global:Duration.Seconds, [DateTime]::now);
} # function
[/sourcecode]

Have Fun with it!