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Sometimes we have to look at files with a size that far exceeds anything a regular code editor can handle. After all, source files of any language usually don't venture north of a few hundred KB. I am sure there are some slightly bigger, so please don't make this a contest about who has the biggest … source file… Log files on the other hand silently sit there and accumulate output from databases, services or whatnot and only once they have grown beyond any reasonable size we suddenly need to look at them and figure out what went wrong. PrimalScript…   More »

Many of the scripts you develop use command line arguments to specify data that needs to be passed to the script. In a production environment these parameters usually change for each invocation of a script. For debugging however most developers use a fixed set of test parameters for any given script, which allows you to easily reproduce the state you need for debugging a specific item. In the past that meant that for each script you had to manually set the parameters somewhere in a dialog box before debugging. It also meant that you somehow had to remember what the…   More »

You saw PrimalScripts 2011’s new PowerShell debugger and now its time to show you the same debugger in PrimalForms 2011. Multi-Platform Support Since PrimalForms 2011 shares the same debugger as PrimalScript, it  also supports 32 bit & 64 bit script execution with the option to elevate. Variables Pane View all the session variables and their property values. (Fig 1: Variables Pane) Watch Pane The Watch Pane allows you to specify variable expressions that you wish to monitor without having to search for the variable. (Fig 2: Watch Pane) Call Stack Pane View the current call stack when debugging your scripts…   More »

The PowerShell debugger has been completely rewritten for PrimalScript 2011. Many of the new features are the direct result of requests from you, our users: - The way the debugger executes your script makes sure that all open files are closed, regardless where and when you stop debugging. - You can debug in 32 and 64 bit PowerShell instances and also elevate the debugger if your script requires elevation to run. (Obviously you need a 64 bit OS to run the 64 bit debugger) - The new variable display shows all members and their values of all PowerShell variables. -…   More »

PrimalForms 2011 will ship with a number of predefined templates that will make things easier for you when creating a GUI for PowerShell. (Fig 1: When you create a new form, a list of templates will appear.)   We know some of you will want to create your own reusable templates, so we implemented  any easy way for you to convert your forms: (Fig 2: Create Form Template Menu Option) I want to the option to search the my exported database queries, but the default query form doesn’t support the functionality. So I start by creating a Form with the…   More »

You probably already guessed that we did not just stop with executing scripts in either 32 or 64 bit mode. Debugging your scripts in either environment is just as simple. With just the flick of a switch you can launch the 32 or the 64 bit debugger and run, step, examine and probe your variables at your leisure. The screenshots below illustrate how easily you can go from 32 to 64 bit. …   More »

Similar to PrimalForms 2011, PrimalSQL 2011 will allow you to export PowerShell GUI scripts that run your queries. Simply design your query in PrimalSQL’s Query builder and press the “Export Query Form” button. (Fig 1: Export the Query into a PowerShell GUI) PrimalSQL 2011 will then generate a PowerShell script (ps1) or a PrimalForms Form (pff)  depending on the option you select. (Fig 2: Select PS1 Script or PrimalForms File) And finally you can edit and run the script in your favorite PowerShell editor: (Fig 2: Running the PowerShell Query GUI in PrimalForms 2011)…   More »

Last time we learned how you can pre-determine where your script is executed by using meta-comments inside your code. While this third installment also deals with execution in either 32 or 64 bit environments, the main gap being addressed today is between script development and working in a shell. For us developer types, the use of an IDE is pretty clear cut: We write code and we want as little dependency on our development machine as possible. Administrators once again live in two worlds: Of course you develop scripts that will run on other machines and, just as us, should…   More »

"Can I ask you a quick question?" This usually precede a long interruption in whatever work you are doing at the time. It doesn't matter if someone sticks their head into your cubicle while uttering these infamous words or if they pop up on an instant messenger window, inevitably you are expected to drop whatever you are doing at the time and attend to someone else's problem. As we have seen in the first part of this blog article, you can configure PrimalScript 2011 to run your scripts in 32 or 64 bit mode. Add that to the already existing…   More »

The question about a 64 bit version of PrimalScript has been raised a few times in our support forum. The question was, however, not really about what platform PrimalScript uses, but what platform the scripts run on. As software transitions from 32 to 64 bit you need a development environment that works on BOTH sides, not exclusively on either side. Many administrators are tasked with supporting legacy 32 bit software and bleeding edge 64 bit server components, some even on the same machine. PrimalScript 2011 will do just that, work on both sides, indifferent to its own "bitness". A little…   More »