The PowerShell Book Generator

Have you always wanted to write a book with 100 or even 1000 or more pages? With Windows PowerShell and PowerShell Book Generator, it takes only a few seconds. The PowerShell Book Generator was created by the way on the last PSConf.eu and afterwards (I try to fill the time optimally and I hope to see you there again @psconf.eu in June 2020). Basically it is about implementing the internal PowerShell help for a topic completely in book form as PDF with table of contents.The idea came to me when I saw that there are more and more books where more and more content is simply copied from the internal help into the document. Of course the generator can also be used to document your own PowerShell modules. How does the internal PowerShell help work?

With Get-Commmand -Module <ModuleName>

the functions and CmdLets of a module can be retrieved.

PS C:\Windows\system32> get-command -Module AppvClient
CommandType Name Version Source
----------- ---- ------- ------
Function Get-AppvVirtualProcess 1.0.0.0 AppvClient
Function Start-AppvVirtualProcess 1.0.0.0 AppvClient
Cmdlet Add-AppvClientConnectionGroup 1.0.0.0 AppvClient
Cmdlet Add-AppvClientPackage 1.0.0.0 AppvClient
Cmdlet Add-AppvPublishingServer 1.0.0.0 AppvClient
Cmdlet Disable-Appv 1.0.0.0 AppvClient
Cmdlet Disable-AppvClientConnectionGroup 1.0.0.0 AppvClient
Cmdlet Enable Appv 1.0.0.0 AppvClient
#....

For each commandlet the complete help can now be called up again. As return value we get an object with help information.

PS C:\Windows\system32> get-Help Get-AppvVirtualProcess
NAME
    Get-AppvVirtualProcess
OVERVIEW
    Displays the virtual processes running on a computer.
SYNTAX
    Get-AppvVirtualProcess [[-Name] <String[]>] [-ComputerName <String[]>] [-FileVersionInfo] [-Modules] [<CommonParameters>]
    Get-AppvVirtualProcess [-ComputerName <String[]>]  [-FileVersionInfo] [-Modules] -Id <Int32[]> [<CommonParameters>] 
    Get-AppvVirtualProcess [-ComputerName <String[]>]  [-FileVersionInfo] [-Modules] [<CommonParameters>] 

This information is retrieved completely (with the paranmeters -Full -Examples). Partly with explanations and examples (depending on the developer) and then processed by the PowerShell Book Generator. You can easily see that this also works for your own modules if they are well documented. Before use First of all the internal PowerShell help should be up to date 

The PowerShell command for this is:  Update-Help

So if there is not much to see in the calls above or in the generated books, an update help should be called first.First the module has to be

imported:Import modules <PathTo>\PowerShellBooks 

Afterwards the book can be generated with New-PowerShellBook <OutputPath> -Module <Modulename>.

Example:

Import modules $PSScriptRoot\PowerShellBooks 
$Module = 'UEV'.
$OutFile = '{0}\desktop\Powershell_With_{1}.pdf' -f $env:userprofile, $Module
New-PowerShellBook -OutputPdfDocument $OutFile -Module $Module

To make life a little easier for the colleagues who don't like to use the PowerShell, I have included a minimal Gui. This is started with the link PowerShellBooksGui. Then select the module and the storage location.To make life a little easier for the colleagues who don't like to use the PowerShell, I have included a minimal Gui. This is started with the link PowerShellBooksGui. Then select the module and the storage location.

Below to download the scripts with the generator. Furthermore some example books.

The generator

Downloads:

PowerShellBooksGenerator HOT

Download

Update 1.2

=======

* Generate TOC with internal Links

* Executable (EXE) for the GUI (generate PDF Documents from PowerShell Modules Help). Better use the PowerShell and

...

Information

Created 02.02.2020 20:34:53

Changed 08.02.2020 08:58:48

Version 1.2

Size 4.97 MB

Created by Andreas Nick

Changed by Andreas Nick

Downloads 214

License Nick Informationstechnik Tool Licence

Price

Some Examples