Windows Scripting Resources

Active Directory Programmer’s Guide

ADSI Exchange Programmer’s Guide

The documentation for ADSI 2.5

To download this file, go to http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/ downloads/bin/nts/adsi25.chm. This documentation is also available in the ADSI software development kit (SDK), which you can download at http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/nts/ downloads/other/adsi25/default.asp.

Information in Microsoft Web Sites
In addition to the product documentation, Microsoft offers other types of information (e.g., language guides, references, tutorials, articles) for ADSI. You can find this information in various Microsoft Web sites, including the Active Directory Service Interfaces Overview and MSDN Online Library Web sites.

Active Directory Service Interfaces Overview
To access the Active Directory Service Interfaces Overview Web site, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/ library/howitworks/activedirectory/adsilinks.asp. In addition to containing links to ADSI 2.5’s Help file and SDK, this Web site contains links to the white paper "Active Directory Service Interfaces," developer resources, and the various technologies that integrate with ADSI.

MSDN Online Library
To access ADSI content in the MSDN Online Library, go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp. Navigate to Platform SDK, Networking and Directory Services, Directory Services, Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI).

Books
Daniel Blum, Understanding Active Directory Services (Microsoft Press, 1999),
http://mspress.microsoft.com/books/1485.htm
Thomas Eck, Windows NT/2000 ADSI Scripting for System Administration (New Riders Publishing/Macmillan Technical Publishing, 2000),
http://www.newriders.com/books/title.cfm?isbn=1578702194
Mikael Freidlitz and Todd Mondor, Professional ADSI CDO Programming with ASP (Wrox Press, 1999),
http://www.wrox.com/consumer/store/details.asp?isbn=1861001908
Steven Hahn, ADSI ASP Programmer's Reference (Wrox Press, 1998),
http://www.wrox.com/consumer/store/details.asp?isbn=186100169x
David Iseminger, Active Directory Services for Microsoft Windows 2000 Technical Reference (Microsoft Press, 2000),
http://mspress.microsoft.com/books/3173.htm
David Iseminger (series editor), Active Directory Developer's Reference Library (Microsoft Press, 2000),
http://mspress.microsoft.com/books/4281.htm
Gil Kirkpatrick, Active Directory Programming (SAMS/Macmillan Publishing, 2000),
http://www.mcp.com/sams/detail_sams.cfm?item=0672315874
Alistair G. Lowe-Norris, Windows 2000 Active Directory (O'Reilly & Associates, 2000), http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/win2000ads
Simon Robinson, Professional ADSI Programming (Wrox Press, 1999),
http://www.wrox.com/consumer/store/details.asp?isbn=1861002262

Miscellaneous
Microsoft Developer Training for Win2K, "Building Solutions for Microsoft Windows 2000 with Visual C++" (http://msdn.microsoft.com/training/ offers/win2000/default.asp). See the following chapters in this free training module:

"Chapter 7: Integrating with Active Directory"

"Chapter 8: Advanced Integration with Active Directory"

"Chapter 9: Extending the Active Directory Schema"

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit (Microsoft Press, 2000), http://mspress.microsoft.com/books/1394.htm. Because Win2K includes ADSI 2.5, this resource kit includes systems administration scripts that leverage ADSI.

Windows Management Instrumentation Resources

Where to Obtain
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is part of the Windows 2000 platform and is available for other Windows platforms. You can download the core WMI components for Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 9x systems from http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/ c-frame.htm?/downloads/sdks/wmi/default.asp.

Product Documentation
The product documentation for WMI is in the WMI software development kit (SDK) documentation. You can download the WMI SDK at http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/sdks/wmi/default.asp.

Information in Microsoft Web Sites
In addition to the product documentation, Microsoft offers other types of information (e.g., language guides, references, tutorials, articles) for WMI. You can find this information in Microsoft’s various Web sites, including the MSDN Online Library, MSDN Magazine, WMI Resources, and Schema Home Page Web sites.

MSDN Online Library
To access WMI content in the MSDN Online Library, go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp. Navigate to Platform SDK, Management Services, Windows Management Instrumentation, WMI Application Programming, Scripting API. In the library, you can also find the article Michael Maston, "Managing Windows with WMI," November 1999 (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/techart/mngwmi.htm).

MSDN Magazine
The MSDN Magazine Web site publishes its articles and columns online. Here are a few articles that MSDN Magazine has published about WMI:

Alan Boshier, "Windows Management Instrumentation: A Simple, Powerful Tool for Scripting Windows Management," April 2000, (http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/0400/wmi/wmi.asp)

Jeffrey Cooperstein, "Windows Management Instrumentation: Administering Windows and Applications across Your Enterprise," May 2000 (http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/0500/wmiover/wmiover.asp)

Kevin Hughes and David Wohlferd, "Say Goodbye to Quirky APIs: Building a WMI Provider to Expose Your Object Info," May 2000 (http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/0500/wmiprov/wmiprov.asp)

WMI Resources
The WMI Resources Web site (http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/ sdks/wmi/whitepapers.asp) provides links to WMI-related white papers. For example, the Web site contains links to the white papers "Windows Management Instrumentation: Background and Overview" and "Windows Management Instrumentation Scripting."

Schema Home Page

The Schema Home Page (http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/ sdks/wmi/schema/default.htm) describes how the WMI schema works and discusses how to extend the schema. This Web site also provides the schema for WMI 1.1.

Information in Non-Microsoft Web Sites
Microsoft based the WMI schema on the Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) and Common Information Model (CIM) standards that the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF) adopted. You can learn about these standards at the DMTF Web site (http://www.dmtf.org).

Books
Jeffrey Honeyman, Scripting Windows 2000 (Osborne McGraw-Hill, 2000),
http://www.osborne.com/networking/scripting_win_2000.htm
Winston Bumpus, John W. Sweitzer, J. Patrick Thompson, Andrea Westerinen, and Raymond C. Williams, Common Information Model: Implementing the Object Model for Enterprise Management (John Wiley & Sons, 1999),
http://www.wiley.com/compbooks/catalog/35342-6.htm

Miscellaneous
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit (Microsoft Press, 2000), http://mspress.microsoft.com/books/1394.htm. Because Win2K includes WMI 1.5, the Win2K resource kit contains system administration scripts that leverage WMI.

You can download a tutorial called "Learn WMI" by going to (http://download.microsoft.com/download/ platformsdk/wmitut/1.5/nt5/en-us/lrnwmi.exe).

Win32 Perl Resources

Where to Obtain
You can obtain the Perl version for Windows—Win32 Perl—by downloading the ActivePerl package from ActiveState Tool (http://www.activestate.com). You can use Win32 Perl on Windows 2000, Windows NT, and Windows 9x systems.

Product Documentation
The ActivePerl package includes online documentation for Win32 Perl.

Information in Non-Microsoft Web Sites
You can obtain Win32 Perl information (e.g., tutorials), sample scripts, and modules (e.g., Win32::Lanman) from many Web sites. These sites include

ActiveState Tool (http://www.activestate.com)

Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN—http://www.cpan.org)

O’Reilly & Associates (http://www.perl.com/pub)

Roth Consulting (http://www.roth.net)

Books
Dick Hardt, Erik Olson, David Futato, and Brian Jepson, Perl Resource Kit -- Win32 Edition (O’Reilly & Associates, 1998),
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/prkwin32
Dave Roth, Win32 Perl Programming: The Standard Extensions (New Riders Publishing/Macmillan Technical Publishing 1999),
http://www.roth.net/books/extensions
Dave Roth, Win32 Perl Scripting: The Administrator’s Handbook (New Riders Publishing/Macmillan Technical Publishing, 2000),
http://www.roth.net/books/handbook
Randal L. Schwartz, Erik Olson, and Tom Christiansen, Learning Perl on Win32 Systems (O’Reilly & Associates, 1997),
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/lperlwin

Windows NT Shell Scripting Resources

Where to Obtain
Windows 2000 and Windows NT include the NT shell scripting technology. (The commands and command options differ in Windows 9x.)

Product Documentation
The product documentation for NT shell scripting is in the online Help file. In the Start menu, select Help. On the Index tab, select batch commands, then click Display.

Information in Microsoft Web Sites
You can find information about NT shell scripting at the Microsoft TechNet Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/default.asp). For example, the Tips & Tricks link under the Windows NT Resources heading contains information about how to use several NT shell commands and how to write logon scripts with NT shell scripting.

Books
Tim Hill, Windows NT Shell Scripting (New Riders Publishing/Macmillan Technical Publishing, 1998),
http://www.newriders.com/books/title.cfm?isbn=1578700477
William R. Stanek, Windows NT Scripting Administrator's Guide (IDG Books Worldwide, 1999),
http://164.109.153.102/product.asp?isbn=0764533096

Miscellaneous
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit (Microsoft Press, 2000),
http://mspress.microsoft.com/books/1394.htm.
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Resource Kit (Microsoft Press, 1996),
http://mspress.microsoft.com/books/580.htm.

Windows Script Resources

Where to Obtain
Windows Script (WS) 5.5 contains VBScript 5.5, JScript 5.5, Windows Script Components (WSC), Windows Script Host (WSH) 2.0, and Windows Script Runtime 5.1. WS 5.5 is part of the Windows 2000 platform and is available for other Windows platforms. You can download WS 5.5 for Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 9x systems from http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/vbscript/scripting.asp.

Product Documentation
The HTML Help files for JScript, VBScript, WSH, and WSC are available for download or online viewing at the Microsoft Windows Script Technologies Web site. Go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/scripting) and follow these instructions:

JScript (jsdoc.exe). On the left, click JScript, then Downloads. In the page that appears, click 32-bit JScript Documentation Download under the Other Downloads heading.

VBScript (vbsdoc.exe). On the left, click VBScript, then Downloads. In the page that appears, click 32-bit VBScript Documentation Download under the Other Downloads heading.

WSH 2.0 (wshdoc.exe). On the left, click Windows Script Host, then Documentation. In the page that appears, click 32-bit Windows Script Host 2.0 Documentation Download.

WSC (wscdoc.exe). On the left, click Windows Script Components, then Documentation or Downloads. In the page that appears, click 32-bit Windows Script Components Documentation Download.

The JScript, VBScript, WSH, and WSC documentation is also available in the Win2K distribution Go to Drive:ValueAddMsftXtraDocsScript.

Information in Microsoft Web Sites
In addition to the product documentation, Microsoft offers other types of information (e.g., language guides, references, tutorials, articles) for the WS technologies. You can find this information in various Microsoft Web sites, including the Microsoft Windows Script Technologies, Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Online Library, MSDN Magazine, and Microsoft Internet Developer Web sites.

Microsoft Windows Script Technologies
Go to the Microsoft Windows Script Technologies Web site (http://msdn.microsoft.com/scripting) and follow the instructions for the technology you’re interested in:

JScript. On the left, click JScript, then Documentation. The page that appears will have links to several resources, including the JScript User's Guide (click User’s Guide) and the JScript Language Reference"(click Language Reference).

VBScript. On the left, click VBScript, then Documentation. The page that appears will have links to several resources, including the VBScript User's Guide (click User’s Guide) and the "VBScript Language Reference" (click Language Reference).

WSH 2.0. On the left, click Windows Script Host, then Documentation. The page that appears will have links to several resources, including the Windows Script Host Language Reference (click Reference) and Windows Script Host Version 2.0 Tutorial (click Tutorial).

WSC. On the left, click Windows Script Components, then Documentation. The page that appears will have links to several resources, including the Script Components tutorial (click Windows Script Components Tutorial) and the Script Component Reference (click Windows Script Components Reference).

MSDN Online Library
The MSDN Online Library (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp) contains a wealth of information about the various automation objects that WSH can call. For white papers that can provide you with the concepts behind using automation objects with WSH, navigate to Backgrounders, Component Object Model. For articles that provide you with how-to information about using automation objects with WSH, navigate to Technical Articles, Component Object Model.

In the MSDN Online Library, you can navigate to Platform SDK, Tools and Languages, Scripting. However, each link under Scripting connects you to the home page of the Microsoft Windows Script Technologies Web site. Thus, you need to follow the instructions in the "Microsoft Windows Script Technologies" segment.

MSDN Magazine
The MSDN Magazine Web site publishes its articles and columns online. Some of the columns that deal with WS technologies, include

Andrew Clinick, "Scripting Clinic." To view the current column, go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/voices/scripting.asp. To view the column’s archive, go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/voices/archive.asp#scripting.

Dino Esposito, "Cutting Edge." Go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/default.asp. To view the current column, click Columns, then Cutting Edge in the MSDN Magazine Home menu on the left. To view past columns in 2000, click Back Issues in the MSDN Magazine Home menu. To view past columns from 1999 and earlier, go to http://www.microsoft.com/mind/default.asp. In the MIND Home Page menu, click Back Issues. (Starting with the March 2000 issue, MSDN Magazine has incorporated Microsoft Internet Developer.)

Information in Non-Microsoft Web Sites
You can find information about the WS technologies on many Web sites that aren’t affiliated with Microsoft. Here are some of those Web sites:

WSH FAQ Web site (http://wsh.glazier.co.nz)

Win32 Scripting Web site (http://cwashington.netreach.net)

WSH Bazaar Web site (http://www.borncity.com/WSHBazaar/WSHBazaar.htm)

Power Scripting Web site (http://homepages.go.com/ homepages/s/b/o/sbondi/powerscripting)

WinScripter Web site (http://www.winscripter.com)

Books
Günter Born, Microsoft Windows Script Host 2.0 Developer's Guide (Microsoft Press, 2000),
http://mspress.microsoft.com/books/4127.htm
Dino Esposito, Windows Script Host Programmer’s Reference (Wrox Press, 1999),
http://www.wrox.com/consumer/store/details.asp?isbn=1861002653
Thomas Fredell and Charles Williams, SAMS Teach Yourself Windows Script Host in 21 Days (SAMS/Macmillan Publishing, 1999),
http://www.mcp.com/sams/detail_sams.cfm?item=067231374X
Tim Hill, Windows 2000 Windows Script Host (New Riders Publishing/Macmillan Technical Publishing, 1999),
http://www.newriders.com/books/title.cfm?isbn=1578701392
Jeffrey Honeyman, Scripting Windows 2000 (Osborne McGraw-Hill, 2000),
http://www.osborne.com/networking/scripting_win_2000.htm
Paul Lomax, Matt Childs, and Ron Petrusha, VBScript in a Nutshell (O'Reilly & Associates, 2000),
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/vbscriptian
William R. Stanek, Windows NT Scripting Administrator's Guide (IDG Books Worldwide, 1999),
http://164.109.153.102/product.asp?isbn=0764533096
William R. Stanek, Windows 2000 Scripting Bible (IDG Books Worldwide, 2000),
http://164.109.153.102/product.asp?isbn=0764546775
Tobias Weltner, Windows Scripting Secrets (IDG Books Worldwide, 2000),
http://164.109.153.102/product.asp?isbn=0764546848

Miscellaneous
Windows Script's primary job is to glue together COM automation components, such as Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI), ADO, Collaboration Data Objects (CDO), and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). As such, any book or resource that highlights these technologies might be helpful.