Playing with the ISE Profile

Since PowerShell 3 and 4, I’ve been teaching more of my PowerShell classes using the ISE rather than using the shell. This is because the Intellisense really helps my students learn PowerShell. One thing that I did not like about the ISE is that the cmdlet Start-Transcript could not be used in the ISE. Now with PowerShell V5, you can.

For those who have taken my PowerShell classes know that I have transcripts starting automatically in my Shell profile. Well, time to do the same thing in the ISE. My goal is to provide my students with a transcript of my activates from the ISE for their review after class. First off, I need to create a profile for the ISE.

I can do this by Simply creating the correct profile file in my WindowPowerShell directory in my profile.

1 2	if (!(test-path $profile )) {new-item -type file -path $profile -force}

Here is the result:

Directory: C:\Users\JASON\Documents\WindowsPowerShell

Mode LastWriteTime Length Name

---- ------------- ------ ----

-a---- 3/15/2015 5:27 PM 0 Microsoft.PowerShellISE_profile.ps1

Next I open the Microsoft.PowerShellISE_Profile.ps1 file and add in my transcript naming code.

# -- Automate PowerShell Transcription --

# Create a filename based on a time stamp.

$Filename = "$(Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-dd hh-mm-ss").txt"

$HD = $Env:HomeDrive

$HP = $Env:HomePath

$Path = "$($HD)$($HP)\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\ISE Transcripts"

# Turn on PowerShell transcripting.

Start-Transcript -Path "$Path\$Filename" -IncludeInvocationHeader

# Remove all trascript files older that 100 days.

Get-ChildItem -Path $Path |

Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-100)} |

Remove-Item

This code is very simple. It creates a custom Date-Time stamped transcript file. This helps if I have multiple ISE sessions open. It also deletes old transcripts that are over 100 days old. Close the ISE and open it. You should be good to go.

Just remember, these transcript log files will get big, fast. You may need to adjust the auto delete from 100 days to something less. In line 12, the value –100 is the one to change.

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