Find the directory path where a running script, PowerShell 3.0 style

Back in the good old days of PowerShell 2.0, we often started our scripts with a line that referred the directory path where the script ran.

This is used e.g. to get location of a WSP package that was to be deployed to the farm. The PowerShell script looked like this.

1 $scriptPath = split-path -parent $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Definition
2 $scriptPath + "\mypackage.wsp"
3 #add and deploy package to farm

But in PowerShell 3.0, there is a new build-in variable for this. The “$PSScriptRoot” and now the PowerShell look like this

1 $PSScriptRoot + "\mypackage.wsp"
2 #add and deploy package to farm

This a not a big change to the script, but a line less is a win.

Simplify your PowerShell and remember | is your friend

I had a colleague last week who wanted to clean up in his web application for site collection that he did not use. He google and found this piece PoweShell.

1 $tmpRoot = Get-SpWebApplication -Identity http://w520-sp2013-1:81
2 $tmpRootColl=$tmpRoot.Sites
3 for ($index=$tmpRootColl.Count-1 ; $index-ge 0 ; $index--) {Remove-SPSite -Identity $tmpRootColl.Item($index) -GradualDelete -Confirm:$false}

It now works fine too, but he had a hard time reading it and it could easily be made more simple. Eg. this way.

1 Get-SpWebApplication -Identity http://w520-sp2013-1:81 | Get-SPSite -Limit:All | Remove-SPSite -GradualDelete -Confirm:$false

Now there's no loop or variable you must remember to instantiate.

“Run as Administrator” the easy way

We live in a world that is run via PowerShell and how often have you not forgot to run his PowerShell script as "run as administrator"? But there are a few tricks in Windows so that it become easy.

As you probably already, how to start a problem with administrative privileges by right-clicking on a program/shortcut and select "Run as Administrator".

But did you know that by holding ctrl+shift down, you can obtain the same?

You can either double-click on a program/​​shortcut while holding ctrl+shift down or hit enter, it is the same.

Another trick is to make a shortcut to your program. Because on a shortcut, you can choose whether it always should "run as administrator"

How do you know about a problem running under the administrator context?

Look up at the program title bar. It says "Administrator" if it is running under sub-administrator context. This works not only for PowerShell command prompt but also for e.g. visual studio.

Set the column width i SharePoint

Just a small script for safe keeping. This script will search for column with a title e.g. Name and set the column width. To set more columns, add new line to the script and change the selector

1 <script src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.11.0/jquery.min.js" type="text/javascript">
2 </script><script type="text/javascript">
3 $(function(){
4     $(".ms-viewheadertr th:contains('Name')").css("width", "50px");
5 });        
6 </script>
7 

This script is tested with document libraries both on 2010 and 2013.

SPBG user group meeting in Aarhus August 15.

There are arrange knowledge sharing meeting about Self-service BI capabilities of Office 365 and SharePoint dinner on Aug. 15 in Aarhus. Read more about the event here http://spbg.dk/Lists/Mder/DispForm.aspx?ID=70