Win32 Scripting Resources

Currently, resources that explain how to use Windows Scripting Host (WSH) and related technologies are scarce. The following publications and Web sites are some of the good resources that are now (or soon will be) available.

WSH BOOKS
Although no WSH books are available at press time, several are under development. A list of forthcoming books follows. Contact the publishers for more information about when these books will be available.

VBSCRIPT AND JSCRIPT BOOKS
Many publishers have printed books about VBScript and JScript. These publishers include

Unfortunately, all of these publishers' books approach the scripting languages in the context of Web programming. To find books about the scripting languages, visit the publishers' Web sites and search for VBScript or JScript.

OTHER BOOKS
Keep in mind that one of WSH's primary functions is to glue together COM automation components such as ADO, Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI), Collaboration Data Objects (CDO), Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), and Microsoft Office. Thus, you'll find resources that focus on these technologies useful when you're writing WSH scripts.

Books that you might want to look into include

Although these books approach programming in the context of Web development, you can easily adapt their example scripts to fit a WSH scripting environment.

WIN32 SCRIPTING JOURNAL
Windows NT Magazine publishes Win32 Scripting Journal, a 16-page newsletter that focuses exclusively on Win32 scripting topics. See http://www.winntmag.com/newsletter/scripting for more information about this publication.

WEB SITES
Several Web sites provide useful information about WSH scripting. Microsoft's Windows Script Technologies Web site (http://msdn.microsoft.com/scripting) includes white papers and articles about WSH, VBScript, JScript, and related technologies.

You can download Microsoft's documentation of its two WSH scripting languages from the Windows Script Technologies Web site. The JScript documentation is in a 32-bit compiled HTML Help file named jsdoc.exe. The VBScript documentation is in a 32-bit compiled HTML Help file named vbsdoc.exe. The Web site also provides access to a WSH Programmer's Reference document (http://www.microsoft.com/ management/wshobj.htm).

Microsoft Developer Network's (MSDN's) online library contains a wealth of information about the automation objects WSH can call, including ADO, ADSI, CDO, and WMI objects. You can find the MSDN library at http://msdn.microsoft.com/developer/default.htm.

You might also find helpful Microsoft's self-paced course (number 1080) named "Essentials of Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition 3.0 for Web Site Development." To obtain the course, download the file 1080_web.exe from http://www.microsoft.com/ train_cert/courses/ enm1080a.htm. Although the course's title implies that the course covers only Web site development, one section of the course focuses on WSH scripting.

Several independent Web sites contain information about WSH-related scripting. You can find WSH information at http://wsh.glazier.co.nz. You can find Win32 scripting information at http://cwashington.netreach.net. You can find add-on products that work with WSH at http://www.netal.com.

Last but certainly not least, I can't overemphasize the power of Web search engines. Use your favorite Web crawler to search for Windows Scripting Host, and you'll find WSH-related information from a variety of sources. Make sure to let me know if you find a particularly informative WSH site.