Creating your first PowerShell module in C# - Emanuel Palm,Justin Grote - PSConfEU 2023

Addressing the question of why someone would want to learn C Sharp, Emmanuel Plam and Justin Grote highlight the benefits of leveraging the .NET ecosystem and its existing functionalities. By using C Sharp, we can implement things in a more robust way by taking advantage of .NET features such as type safety and access to generic methods and interfaces. C# is particularly useful when interacting with existing SDKs like Azure or Microsoft Graph. Many modules, including Pester and PSBicep, utilize C# to provide a structured model, type-safety, and better performance.
Moving on, we discuss the various tooling options available for C# development. These include Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains Writer, and any text editor of choice. We emphasize that the choice of a text editor for writing C# code is a matter of personal preference.
Next, we discuss the importance of using code editors instead of Notepad for writing code. We emphasize that productivity and efficiency are more important than showcasing command line skills. Code editors prevent mistakes and provide tools for generating code and identifying errors. Visual Studio Code is an excellent option for C# development, especially with the new C# dev kit. Visual Studio is another popular choice, offering a comprehensive programming suite.
We then explain the structure and syntax of a commandlet in PowerShell and C#, highlighting their similarities in concepts. We discuss the different blocks of a commandlet, including the begin, process, and end blocks, and explain how they relate to the functionality of the code. We emphasize the importance of being explicit when outputting things in C# to avoid confusion.
Moving on to the labs and the follow-along session, we explain that we will be using Codespaces, an online platform. We assure the audience that even if they are not following along, they will still learn something valuable. We encourage them to ask questions or raise their hands if they need help during the session.
Next, we dive into the folder structure of the dev container, providing a detailed explanation. We discuss the configuration for the dev container, the GitHub folder with a GitHub action for Pester tests, the VS Code folder with settings, the images folder with readme instructions, the source folder with all the code, the tests folder with Pester tests, the editor config file for standardized code formatting, the gitignore file for excluding certain files from version control, the global JSON file for specifying the required .NET SDK version, the license file, the readme, the PowerPoint, and the Visual Studio Solution file. We explain the significance of the Solution file in describing the project structure and its components.
Moving on, we shift our focus to solution files and project files in Visual Studio.