Microsoft's Newest -omatic Creation

Hasbro better watch out—Microsoft has released another -omatic creation. First there was Scriptomatic, followed by ADSI Scriptomatic, HTA Helpomatic, and Tweakomatic. Now there's PowerShell Scriptomatic.

Okay, so Hasbro doesn't have to worry too much. I doubt if many grade schoolers will want to play with these -omatic creations. But every time I run across the one of Microsoft's -omatic utilities, I can't help but think of the many fun-filled hours I spent as a kid pressing the Pop-O-Matic Trouble bubble, hoping the popping sound was followed by a lucky number 6 on the die.

PowerShell Scriptomatic doesn't make any popping noises or have a die to roll, but it does have some cool features that will make writing PowerShell scripts fun. Like Scriptomatic and Tweakomatic, PowerShell Scriptomatic is a tool for writing Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) scripts. All you need to do is select a WMI namespace and a dynamic class (i.e., a class that returns data) from drop-down lists, and the utility writes a Windows PowerShell script that returns all the information for that class. If you want to run the script right away, you just click the Run button. Alternatively, you can save the script. By default, PowerShell Scriptomatic creates scripts that run on the local computer, but you can create scripts that run on remote machines by either typing in one or more computer names or loading computer names from a text file.

PowerShell Scriptomatic has other helpful features you can read about in the PowerShell Scriptomatic Web page. This page also includes a link to download the tool.

In case you're interested in the other -omatic utilities, here's what they do and where you can find information about them:

And if you've never heard of the Pop-O-Matic Trouble bubble, you can see a demonstration of this infamous bubble here.