If you come from a UNIX/Linux background, you probably rubbed your chin or scratched your head thinking two things when Microsoft announced PowerShell (codenamed Monad when it the first beta was released in 2005): 1. Well, it is about time! 2. Why didn’t they just port or copy Bash (or csh or zsh or whatever you favorite *nix shell is)?
Linux Magazine’s Marcus Nasarek took the issue literally and wrote a 2-page PDF document comparing and constrasting Bash and PowerShell. The download is linked at…
SHELL GAMES : Comparing Bash with the Windows Vista shell
For me, PowerShell has had a odd learning curve. It sort of looks like the old DOS CMD shell when you first bring it up. But, that is all there is: A superficial resemblance. This might throw off Windows/DOS users. It also has kind of a Bash/Perl feel to it at first. But, the differences show up pretty fast as you explore PowerShell. Nasarek’s article does a good job of comparing and contrasting Bash and PowerShell in the 2 page PDF. Any *nix shell user who may need to work with PowerShell on Windows Servers will find this article interesting.
Okay, I just read the PDF. Interesting.
It still seems to me that PowerShell has a way to go, but that's a new scripting language for you. I say this not because of PowerShell itself, but because it relies on interfaces being implementing in target applications (e.g., how an interface to Exchange interface had to be created) instead of PowerShell being able to rely on a always-available set of commands the same way script writers in UNIX-land can.
I'm curious to see how things will develop..