Microsoft VBScript: Step by Step [Paperback]

Ed Wilson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0735622973 | ISBN-13: 978-0735622975 | Publication Date: December 27, 2006

Get guidance from a well-known scripting expert—and teach yourself the fundamentals of Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript). This tutorial delivers hands-on, self-paced learning labs to help you get started automating Microsoft Windows administration—one step at a time.

Discover how to:

• Manage folders and files with a single script
• Configure network components with Windows Management Instrumentation
• Administer users and groups using subroutines and Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI)
• Design logon scripts to configure and maintain user environments
• Monitor and manage network printers
• Back up and edit the registry—avoiding common pitfalls
• Handle errors and troubleshoot scripts
• Simplify administration for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and Internet Information Services 6.0

Includes a CD featuring:

• All practice exercises
• 100+ sample scripts to adapt for your own work

A Note Regarding the CD or DVD

The print version of this book ships with a CD or DVD. For those customers purchasing one of the digital formats in which this book is available, we are pleased to offer the CD/DVD content as a free download via O'Reilly Media's Digital Distribution services. To download this content, please visit O'Reilly's web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to [e-mail].

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Key Book Benefits:

- Delivers step-by-step instruction for automating Windows administration - Offers learning labs so that you can build the skills you want—at your own pace - Written by an experienced trainer and leading expert on VBScript - Includes a companion CD with more than 100 adaptable script samples, timesaving scripting tools, and an eBook

About the Author

Ed Wilson holds more than 20 industry certifications, including MCSE and CISSP. He is a Microsoft Certified Trainer who teaches numerous networking and administration classes, including his popular VBScript workshop. He’s also written or contributed to seven books, including two popular scripting books from Microsoft Press: Microsoft Windows Scripting with WMI: Self-Paced Learning Guide and Microsoft Windows Scripting Self-Paced Learning Guide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press (December 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735622973
• ISBN-13: 978-0735622975
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #741,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ed Wilson, MCSE, MSCBA, MCT is the Microsoft Scripting Guy. As such, he writes the popular Hey Scripting Guy blog for Microsoft, speaks at conferences such as TechEd and TechReady. He is very active in the community and has spoken to numerous user groups around the world via Live Meeting and in person. Ed has written numerous books about VBScript, WMI, and Windows PowerShell scripting and his latest release is Windows PowerShell 2.0 Best Practices. In addition he wrote all the scripts for the Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7 Resource kits. Ed lives in York, South Carolina and Ed has been with Microsoft since 2001. Prior to becoming the writer of the Hey Scripting Guy blog Ed taught scripting workshops worldwide to Microsoft Premier customers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction for learning VBScript, December 23, 2006

By 

Benjamin S. Prusinski "real dba" (san diego, ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft VBScript: Step by Step (Paperback)

I needed a quick way to ramp up on VBScript for work and have a lot of programming experience so did not want a dummy type book. Great coverage of basics on the language. Only beef is would have liked to see more on how to use ADO and DAO with databases like Oracle and SQL Server.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a good book if you're a beginner, August 5, 2007

By 

K. Pham (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft VBScript: Step by Step (Paperback)

This book (IMHO) is good if you already have programming experience and want to learn VBScript. It is NOT a good book if you're an absolute beginner. Although the first couple of chapters are for 'beginners', it really doesn't explain the basics of programming. I suggest familiarizing yourself with VBScript (or any other language) before you read this book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Errors Abound, November 4, 2008

By 

T. Durfee - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft VBScript: Step by Step (Paperback)

This book is decent for getting starting in VBScripting, but you should not pick this book up if you are new to programming. In the first few chapters, he doesn't just go over the basics, but he brings in things that will only confuse new programmers. He dives right into WMI queries and such before you even have a firm grasp on the fundamentals. While he does mention that he'll go over these in later chapters, it only would cause a person with limited experience to become overwhelmed. When he started on the IF.. THEN.. ELSE stuff, he used very basic examples that really drove home the ideas. I wish he would have used that throughout the book and saved the advanced stuff for later (when he had time to explain it rather than telling someone to ignore the code.. it makes the code hard to read and hard to understand if you don't know what is going on in it).

The other unfortunate thing is the numerous spelling/grammar errors in the book. Things like double words (we we) and words that have improper conjunction (you"ll). The book also misses when it tries to walk you through building code. It misses entire steps on where to put lines (even when he is obviously trying to walk you through it). You are left trying to figure it out yourself with zero explanation.

There really needs to be a new version to fix some of the glaring errors in the book. The errata would be lengthy and only get in the way if you are constantly having to refer to it as you walk through examples.

It's somewhat of a disappointment.