{"id":4847,"date":"2019-08-20T22:34:30","date_gmt":"2019-08-21T05:34:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cloudnotes.io\/?p=4847"},"modified":"2019-08-24T16:26:28","modified_gmt":"2019-08-24T23:26:28","slug":"powershell-core-binary-module-with-visual-studio-code","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cloudnotes.io\/powershell-core-binary-module-with-visual-studio-code\/","title":{"rendered":"Powershell Core binary module with Visual Studio Code"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I wrote countless scripts and a good amount of modules (and functions) in my years as Service Engineer but all of them are script<\/em> modules, I never really created binary<\/em> modules. The main reason is that I like to write in Powershell but I also like the fact that, not being a compiled language, it is very easy to share and modify the source code for a script module and it is immediately ready to be reloaded and used. Anyway out of curiosity and to learn a different approach to building modules, I decided to try to convert one of mine from script to binary; my first step was (of course) a quick search to find some samples and getting started<\/em> articles and I found a few good ones (referenced below) but all of them use Visual Studio and the full version of the .NET Framework, while I want to use Visual Studio Code and .NET Core. So here’s what I came up with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First off of course I need .NET Core<\/a> (I am using the latest .NET Core 3 preview 8 at the moment), Visual Studio Code<\/a> and the C# Extension<\/a>. Next, I’m going to create a Class Library project using dotnet<\/code> at the command line; note the -f<\/code> parameter to indicate the framework version I want to use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PS > dotnet new classlib -f netcoreapp3.0 -o HelloWorldCore\nCouldn't find an installed template that matches the input, searching online for one that does...\nMatches from template source: NuGet\n-----------------------------------\nTemplate name \"Razor Class Library\" (razorclasslib) from author \"Microsoft\" in pack Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.2.2\n    To use this template, run the following command and try again:\n        dotnet new -i Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.2.2::2.2.6<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Since I am attempting this command on a fresh installation I am missing some templates but luckily dotnet<\/code> suggests the command to run to fix this problem: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
PS > dotnet new -i Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.2.2::2.2.6\n  Restore completed in 1.73 sec for C:\\Users\\carlo\\.templateengine\\dotnetcli\\v3.0.100-preview8-013656\\scratch\\restore.csproj.\n\nUsage: new [options]\n\nOptions:\n  -h, --help          Displays help for this command.\n  -l, --list          Lists templates containing the specified name. If no name is specified, lists all templates.\n  -n, --name          The name for the output being created. If no name is specified, the name of the current directory is used.\n  -o, --output        Location to place the generated output.\n  -i, --install       Installs a source or a template pack.\n  -u, --uninstall     Uninstalls a source or a template pack.\n  --nuget-source      Specifies a NuGet source to use during install.\n  --type              Filters templates based on available types. Predefined values are \"project\", \"item\" or \"other\".\n  --dry-run           Displays a summary of what would happen if the given command line were run if it would result in a template creation.\n  --force             Forces content to be generated even if it would change existing files.\n  -lang, --language   Filters templates based on language and specifies the language of the template to create.\n  --update-check      Check the currently installed template packs for updates.\n  --update-apply      Check the currently installed template packs for update, and install the updates.\n\n\nTemplates                                         Short Name               Language          Tags\n----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\nConsole Application                               console                  [C#], F#, VB      Common\/Console\nClass library                                     classlib                 [C#], F#, VB      Common\/Library\nWPF Application                                   wpf                      [C#], VB          Common\/WPF\nWPF Class library                                 wpflib                   [C#], VB          Common\/WPF\nWPF Custom Control Library                        wpfcustomcontrollib      [C#], VB          Common\/WPF\nWPF User Control Library                          wpfusercontrollib        [C#], VB          Common\/WPF\nWindows Forms (WinForms) Application              winforms                 [C#], VB          Common\/WinForms\nWindows Forms (WinForms) Class library            winformslib              [C#], VB          Common\/WinForms\nWorker Service                                    worker                   [C#]              Common\/Worker\/Web\nUnit Test Project                                 mstest                   [C#], F#, VB      Test\/MSTest\nNUnit 3 Test Project                              nunit                    [C#], F#, VB      Test\/NUnit\nNUnit 3 Test Item                                 nunit-test               [C#], F#, VB      Test\/NUnit\nxUnit Test Project                                xunit                    [C#], F#, VB      Test\/xUnit\nRazor Component                                   razorcomponent           [C#]              Web\/ASP.NET\nRazor Page                                        page                     [C#]              Web\/ASP.NET\nMVC ViewImports                                   viewimports              [C#]              Web\/ASP.NET\nMVC ViewStart                                     viewstart                [C#]              Web\/ASP.NET\nBlazor Server App                                 blazorserver             [C#]              Web\/Blazor\nASP.NET Core Empty                                web                      [C#], F#          Web\/Empty\nASP.NET Core Web App (Model-View-Controller)      mvc                      [C#], F#          Web\/MVC\nASP.NET Core Web App                              webapp                   [C#]              Web\/MVC\/Razor Pages\nASP.NET Core with Angular                         angular                  [C#]              Web\/MVC\/SPA\nASP.NET Core with React.js                        react                    [C#]              Web\/MVC\/SPA\nASP.NET Core with React.js and Redux              reactredux               [C#]              Web\/MVC\/SPA\nRazor Class Library                               razorclasslib            [C#]              Web\/Razor\/Library\/Razor Class Library\nASP.NET Core Web API                              webapi                   [C#], F#          Web\/WebAPI\nASP.NET Core gRPC Service                         grpc                     [C#]              Web\/gRPC\ndotnet gitignore file                             gitignore                                  Config\nglobal.json file                                  globaljson                                 Config\nNuGet Config                                      nugetconfig                                Config\nDotnet local tool manifest file                   tool-manifest                              Config\nWeb Config                                        webconfig                                  Config\nSolution File                                     sln                                        Solution\nProtocol Buffer File                              proto                                      Web\/gRPC\n\nExamples:\n    dotnet new mvc --auth Individual\n    dotnet new nunit-test\n    dotnet new --help<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Now  I can re-run the dotnet new<\/code> command:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PS > dotnet new classlib -f netcoreapp3.0 -o HelloWorldCore\nThe template \"Class library\" was created successfully.\n\nProcessing post-creation actions...\nRunning 'dotnet restore' on HelloWorldCore\\HelloWorldCore.csproj...\n  Restore completed in 70.99 ms for C:\\Users\\carlo\\Git\\HelloWorldCore\\HelloWorldCore.csproj.\n\nRestore succeeded.\n\n\nPS > Get-ChildItem -Recurse\n\n    Directory: C:\\Users\\carlo\\Git\\HelloWorldCore\n\nMode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name\n----                 -------------         ------ ----\nd----           8\/19\/2019  4:59 PM                bin\nd----           8\/19\/2019  4:59 PM                obj\n-a---           8\/19\/2019  4:44 PM             91 Class1.cs\n-a---           8\/19\/2019  4:44 PM            144 HelloWorldCore.csproj\n\n    Directory: C:\\Users\\carlo\\Git\\HelloWorldCore\\bin\n\nMode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name\n----                 -------------         ------ ----\nd----           8\/19\/2019  4:59 PM                Debug\n\n    Directory: C:\\Users\\carlo\\Git\\HelloWorldCore\\bin\\Debug\n\nMode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name\n----                 -------------         ------ ----\nd----           8\/19\/2019  4:59 PM                netcoreapp3.0\n\n    Directory: C:\\Users\\carlo\\Git\\HelloWorldCore\\obj\n\nMode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name\n----                 -------------         ------ ----\nd----           8\/19\/2019  4:59 PM                Debug\n-a---           8\/19\/2019  4:44 PM            149 HelloWorldCore.csproj.nuget.cache\n-a---           8\/19\/2019  4:44 PM           2253 HelloWorldCore.csproj.nuget.dgspec.json\n-a---           8\/19\/2019  4:44 PM           1166 HelloWorldCore.csproj.nuget.g.props\n-a---           8\/19\/2019  4:44 PM            294 HelloWorldCore.csproj.nuget.g.targets\n-a---           8\/19\/2019  4:44 PM           2268 project.assets.json\n\n    Directory: C:\\Users\\carlo\\Git\\HelloWorldCore\\obj\\Debug\n\nMode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name\n----                 -------------         ------ ----\nd----           8\/19\/2019  4:59 PM                netcoreapp3.0\n\n    Directory: C:\\Users\\carlo\\Git\\HelloWorldCore\\obj\\Debug\\netcoreapp3.0\n\nMode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name\n----                 -------------         ------ ----\n-a---           8\/19\/2019  4:59 PM           1015 HelloWorldCore.AssemblyInfo.cs\n-a---           8\/19\/2019  4:59 PM             42 HelloWorldCore.AssemblyInfoInputs.cache\n-a---           8\/19\/2019  4:59 PM            188 HelloWorldCore.assets.cache\n-a---           8\/19\/2019  4:59 PM             42 HelloWorldCore.csproj.CoreCompileInputs.cache\n-a---           8\/19\/2019  4:59 PM         109810 HelloWorldCore.csprojAssemblyReference.cache\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Even with .NET Core I still need to add a reference to the System.Management.Automation<\/code> assembly, which is available as a nuget<\/code> package. Visual Studio Code has a thriving marketplace with tons of very useful extension so I decided to check if something was available to help with this scenario and sure enough I found a number of suitable extensions. I went for NuGet Package Manager<\/a> and I added a reference to  System.Management.Automation<\/code> version 6.2.2 to match my .NET Core version<\/p>\n\n\n\n
add nuget package<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Now I can import the System.Management.Automation<\/code> namespace, decorate the class with the Cmdlet<\/code> attribute, have it inherit from Cmdlet<\/code> and override the ProcessRecord()<\/code> method; for this sample I don’t need to be too fancy with my code so here it is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
using System.Management.Automation;\n\nnamespace HelloWorldCore\n{\n    [Cmdlet(VerbsCommon.Get, \"HelloWorld\")]\n    public class Class1 : Cmdlet\n    {\n        private string _name;\n        [Parameter(Mandatory = true)]\n        public string Name\n        {\n            get { return _name; }\n            set { _name = value; }\n        }\n\n        protected override void ProcessRecord()\n        {\n            WriteObject(\"Hey \" + this.Name);\n        }\n    }\n}<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Next step, build the project and generate the .dll I will later import in my Powershell session; to do that I could use dotnet<\/code> at the command line or use a VSCode extension such as Dotnet core commands<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
PS > dotnet build --configuration Debug\nMicrosoft (R) Build Engine version 16.3.0-preview-19377-01+dd8019d9e for .NET Core\nCopyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.\n\n  Restore completed in 1.63 sec for C:\\Users\\carlo\\Git\\HelloWorldCore\\HelloWorldCore.csproj.\n  You are using a preview version of .NET Core. See: https:\/\/aka.ms\/dotnet-core-preview\n  HelloWorldCore -> C:\\Users\\carlo\\Git\\HelloWorldCore\\bin\\Debug\\netcoreapp3.0\\HelloWorldCore.dll\n\nBuild succeeded.\n    0 Warning(s)\n    0 Error(s)\n\nTime Elapsed 00:00:02.76<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
build project<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Finally, these are a few pointers to get started building binary Powershell modules<\/p>\n\n\n\n