Skip to main content
United States (English)
Sign in
Script Center > Learn > Learn Beginning Scripting

Learn Beginning Scripting

Sesame Script (archive) is the column for the very beginner and for those who are just starting to venture into more advanced areas. The goal of this column is to teach the basics of Windows scripting for system administration automation. We'll provide you with the information you'll need to begin reading and understanding scripts and to start modifying those scripts to suit your own needs. If there's anything in particular about scripting youre finding confusing, let us know--you're probably not alone.

Sesame Script Beginner

Sesame Script Beginner Plus

  • Why Did You Do That?

    March 2006
    A few simple guidelines that might make your lives a little bit easier. Or at least make your scripts easier to understand.

  • The Dictionary Object

    September 2006
    Learn how to organize data within your script by using the Dictionary object.

  • How to Read an SDK

    February 2006
    Learn the basics of reading Software Development Kits and Language References – and why you need them.

  • Getting – or Creating – Objects

    April 2006
    Finally, the Scripting Guys reveal the difference between VBScript CreateObject, VBScript GetObject, WSH CreateObject, and WSH GetObject.

  • Hunting for Objects

    October 2007
    Looking for the classes and methods you need for your script? Here we explain it’s mostly a matter of hunting around to find what you need.

  • Introduction to Error Handling

    May 2006
    Because mistakes do happen.

  • Functions, Subroutines, and Beyond

    June 2006
    Find out what functions and subroutines are all about, then learn how to create a library of these procedures for use in multiple scripts.

  • Let’s Get Together

    July 2006
    Easy scripts are, well, easy. But what happens if you want to do something a little more complicated? Here’s one way to do that: just combine two or more of those easy scripts.

  • WMI Query Language

    December 2006
    Learn how to communicate with the WMI object model so that you can retrieve exactly the information you’re looking for.

  • Working With Numbers

    January 2007
    Yes, we know. But it turns out that there’s no escape from mathematics, not even in system administration scripting. Fortunately, though, VBScript includes a number of functions that make arithmetic far less of a chore than it was back in your school days.

  • Scripting Text Files

    February 2007
    Text files are extremely useful to system administration scripters. And they just might be your ticket to Scripting Games stardom, too.

  • Files and Folders, Part 1

    May 2007
    How do I copy/move/delete a file? And how can I do that only to files x number of days/months/years old? In Part 1 we find out how to use the FileSystemObject to do all of these things, and then some.

  • Files and Folders, Part 2

    June 2007
    Part 2 in our trilogy on managing files and folders. As far as we know, no cats were harmed during the writing of this column.

  • Files and Folders, Part 3

    July 2007
    The final installment in our trilogy on managing the file system concludes with a shocking twist: using Windows PowerShell to copy, move, and delete files and folders.

  • Working with the Registry

    August 2007
    Learn how to read from and write to the registry, and – if you’re careful – delete from the registry.

  • Introduction to Scripting Microsoft Office: Excel and Word

    September 2007
    Learn how your scripts can harness the power of Microsoft Office applications like Word and Excel.

 

© 2016 Microsoft