ScriptBlock

ScriptBlocks are, well, blocks of PowerShell.

Getting a little nerdy, ScriptBlocks are the type PowerShell uses to store its code before it runs.

Let’s start by defining a variable containing a ScriptBlock that says “Don’t Panic!”:

$DontPanic = { "Don't Panic!" }

If you ran that, you might notice it didn’t output anything.

That’s because declaring a ScriptBlock does not run the ScriptBlock.

You can call a ScriptBlock with either of the call operators (& or .)

$DontPanic = { "Don't Panic!" }
& $DontPanic

ScriptBlock structure

ScriptBlocks start and end with curly braces.

Within these curly braces, we can define (in order):

• Inline Help
• Attributes
• Parameters
• Dynamic Parameters (with the dynamicParam block)
• What happens when the command starts (with the begin block)
• When happens when an object comes thru the pipeline (with the process block)
• When happens when the command ends (with the end block)