Question

PowerShell and .NET - Calling Methods

Asked by: Chris-Dent


Busily chipping away at understanding PowerShell, but being a complete non-programmer occasionally makes things really odd...

Anyway, perhaps some one already knows this one and I can stop trying to make up reasons.

I really like having access to the .NET Framework, really quite shiny and can do things that were a pain in the proverbial in VbScript. But...

When using classes and their associated methods in the .NET Framework how do you know how to properly call them (in advance, without my usual Trial and Error approach)?

For example, I can call a method in the DNS class like this:

[System.Net.DNS]::GetHostByAddress("<IP>")

And / Or access the values returned with:

([System.Net.DNS]::GetHostByAddress("<IP>")).HostName

All fine so far, but then I go and pick on another class, we'll take Ping this time, sticking in the networking theme. Because it's somewhat consistent I wanted to do this:

[System.Net.NetworkInformation.Ping]::Send("<IP>")

Send being the method under the Ping class that seemed entirely sound. Doesn't work, of course. Instead I have to create an object:

$Ping = New-Object System.Net.NetworkInformation.Ping
$Ping.Send("<IP>")

So, hmmm, anyone happen to know why? If it's not a horribly long answer involving many concepts that I just don't want to get ;)

Chris

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Asked On
2008-04-11 at 07:52:03ID23315274
Tags

PowerShell .NET Framework

Topics

Powershell

,

Microsoft Programming

,

Windows 2003 Server

Participating Experts
1
Points
500
Comments
5

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Answers

 

by: BSonPoshPosted on 2008-04-11 at 08:44:19ID: 21335332

First... Let me tell you I am NOT a developer... never was and never will be :) That said while learning Powershell I have learned some qwerks of .NET. One of those qwerks is a static method.

A static method is a function that can be call on a class without having to create and instance of a class. In your case you were calling ping() as if it is a static method using [type]::Method().

If you look at the class http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.net.networkinformation.ping.aspx

It does not have any static methods. This means you have to create an instance of the class using the New-Object CMDLet

For future... Learning to use the MSDN website has help tremendously and understanding some of the trivial developer terms that go with it...

I have a blog post here that covers the basics. Its old.. I should update it :)
http://bsonposh.com/modules/wordpress/?p=10

 

by: BSonPoshPosted on 2008-04-11 at 08:48:47ID: 21335369

I meant to note... on the MSDN website. Static Methods are denoted by an comic (ish) font S

A good example is System.Math
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.math_members.aspx

 

by: Chris-DentPosted on 2008-04-11 at 08:54:55ID: 31448130

I pulled it from the MSDN site originally, but erm, I've kind of been ignoring those symbols in the first column. I have a bad habit of skimming things in the expectation that I'll manage to populate the blank spaces automatically, honestly it does work sometimes ;)

Thanks very much though, it does indeed explain it very neatly :)

Back to attempting to avoid writing VbScript.

Chris

 

by: BSonPoshPosted on 2008-04-11 at 09:00:06ID: 21335478

NP.... btw, are you going to be at the Summit?

 

by: Chris-DentPosted on 2008-04-11 at 09:03:36ID: 21335502


Unfortunately not, was really hoping to, but changed job a short while ago and I don't have enough holiday to cover it :(

Instead I'm going with hoping I manage to somehow get re-awarded (July set) so I can head over next year :)

Chris

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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