Introduction to Scripting Languages:

As computers and computer networks continue to grow and more complex, system administrators continue to face more challenges. Not all that long ago, system administrator was limited to managing a handful of computers, a relatively small number of user accounts, and a few applications, many of which no knowledge of, or need for, a local area network.

Today, of course, system administrators often manage hundreds, even thousands of computers, as well as corresponding number of user accounts. These computers, many situated in remote locations, run scores of applications, and rely heavily on networks and networked resources including file servers.

This has made it imperative for system administrators to find managements solutions that:

·         Can be tailored to meet unique needs of organization.

·         Can operate against multiple computers, against remote computers.

·         Are quick, easy and cost effective

          Scripts provide all these capabilities, and more.

Introduction to VB Script:

·         VB Script is subset of Visual Basic 4.0 language.

·         Fast, portable and light weight scripting language.

·         Developed by MicroSoft to provide more processing power to web pages.

·         Supports both client side scripting (HTML, Browser, IE) and server side scripting (ASP, Web Server, IIS).

·         Supports WSH, WMI and ADSI.

·         Supports Test Automation Tool QTP.

Windows Script Host (WSH):

          WSH is script host. A script host is a program that provides an environment in which users can execute scripts in a variety of languages, languages that use a variety of object models to perform tasks.

          The WSH environment includes the built-in WScript object and three COM objects: WshShell, WshNetwork, and WshController.

Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI):

ADSI is the technology that allows you to create custom scripts to administer directories. ADSI-Enabled scripts are capable of performing a wide range of administrative tasks involving network directories such as the Active Directory service.

          Using Active Directory you can complete countless Active Directory Administration task.

·         Create: Creating user accounts, groups, organizational units, computer accounts, sites, subnets, published printers, and shared folders.

·         Modify: Adding a telephone number to a user account, deleting a member from group, resetting password, disabling a computer account, and delegating control of organizational units or a site to a user or group.

·         Read: Reading the full name of a user account, reading a list of group members or a list of users in an organizational unit, and reading OS information from computer account objects.

·         Delete: Deleting objects that are no longer in use, such as user accounts, groups, and Organizational Units.

Differences between Programming Language and Scripting Language:

Programming Language:

·         Programming Languages are Compiler Based.

·         The code written in Programming Language needs to be compiled before it is run. Once it is compiled, it can be run any number of times.

·         Programming Languages runs independent of an exterior program.

·         Programming Languages are not that much easy to use.

·         Programming Languages are not that much easy to write.

·         Take huge amount to development time.

·         Rich support for User Interface.

·         Rich Support for Graphics Design.

·         C, C++, Java, VB, VC++, etc. are examples for Programming Languages.

Scripting Language:

·         Easy to learn.

·         Scripting Languages are Interpreter based.

·         The Code written in Scripting Languages, on the other hand, interpreted at run-time. So it is will typically execute faster, because the conversion into machine language has already been done.

·         Scripting Languages run inside another program.

·         Scripting Languages are easy to use.

·         Scripting Languages are easy to write.

·         Greatly reduces development time.

·         Limited support for User Interface Design.

·         Limited or No support for Graphic design.

·         Scripting Languages today are used to build complex software.

·         VB Script, Shell, Perl, Java Script, python, Ruby, PHP, ASP, JSP, etc. are examples for Scripting languages.