PowerShell vs Python Reference

PowerShell Python

September 16, 2020

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Below is a reference between PowerShell and Python language syntax. Most of these examples where adapted from W3 schools Python tutorials. Is there something we have wrong or is missing? Please contact us.

Syntax

Arrays

PowerShellPython
Defining
@('Hello', 'World')

['Hello', 'World']
Access Element
$arr = @('Hello', 'World')
$arr[0]
# Hello

arr = ['Hello', 'World']
arr[0]
# 'Hello'
Length
$arr = @('Hello', 'World')
$arr.Length

arr = ['Hello', 'World']
len(arr)
Adding
$arr = @('Hello', 'World')
$arr += "Dude"

arr = ['Hello', 'World']
arr.append('Dude')
Removing
 $arr = [System.Collections.ArrayList]@('Hello', 'World')
 $arr.RemoveAt($arr.Count - 1)

arr = ['Hello', 'World']
arr.pop(1)
Removing by value
 $arr = [System.Collections.ArrayList]@('Hello', 'World')
 $arr.Remove("Hello")

arr = ['Hello', 'World']
arr.remove('Hello')

Casting

PowerShellPython
Integers
$i = [int]"10"

i = int("10")
Floats
$i = [float]"10.5" 

i = float("10.5")
Strings
$i = [string]10

i = str(10)

Classes

PowerShellPython
Definition
class MyClass {
    $x = 5
}

class MyClass:
  x = 5
Create Object
[MyClass]::new()

MyClass()
Constructor
class Person {
    Person($Name, $Age) {
        $this.Name = $Name
        $this.Age = $Age
    }

    $Name = ''
    $Age = 0
}
[Person]::new('John', 36)

class Person:
  def __init__(self, name, age):
    self.name = name
    self.age = age

p1 = Person("John", 36)
Methods
class Person {
    Person($Name, $Age) {
        $this.Name = $Name
        $this.Age = $Age
    }

    [string]myfunc() {
        return "Hello my name is $($this.Name)"
    }

    $Name = ''
    $Age = 0
}
[Person]::new('John', 36)

class Person:
  def __init__(self, name, age):
    self.name = name
    self.age = age

  def myfunc(self):
    print("Hello my name is " + self.name)

p1 = Person("John", 36)
p1.myfunc()

Conditions

PowerShellPython
If \ Else
$a = 33
$b = 200
if ($b -gt $a)
{
    Write-Host "b is greater than a"
}
elseif ($a -eq $b)
{
    Write-Host "a and b are equal"  
}
else
{
  Write-Host "a is greater than b"
}
  

a = 33
b = 200
if b > a:
  print("b is greater than a")
elif a == b:
  print("a and b are equal")
else:
  print("a is greater than b")

Comments

PowerShellPython
Single line
# Hello, world!

# Hello, world!
Multiline
<# 
Hello, world!
#>

"""
Hello, world!
"""

Data Types

PowerShellPython
Get Type
$var = 1
$var | Get-Member
#or
$var.GetType()

var = 1
type(var)

Dictionaries

PowerShellPython
Defining
$thisdict = @{
  brand = "Ford"
  model = "Mustang"
  year = 1964
}

thisdict = {
  "brand": "Ford",
  "model": "Mustang",
  "year": 1964
}
print(thisdict)
Accessing Elements
$thisdict = @{
  brand = "Ford"
  model = "Mustang"
  year = 1964
}
$thisdict.brand
$thisdict['brand']

thisdict = {
  "brand": "Ford",
  "model": "Mustang",
  "year": 1964
}
thisdict['brand']
Updating Elements
$thisdict = @{
  brand = "Ford"
  model = "Mustang"
  year = 1964
}
$thisdict.brand = 'Chevy'

thisdict = {
  "brand": "Ford",
  "model": "Mustang",
  "year": 1964
}
thisdict['brand'] = 'Chevy'
Enumerating Keys
$thisdict = @{
  brand = "Ford"
  model = "Mustang"
  year = 1964
}
$thisdict.Keys | ForEach-Object {
    $_
}

thisdict = {
  "brand": "Ford",
  "model": "Mustang",
  "year": 1964
}
for x in thisdict:
    print(x)
Enumerating Values
$thisdict = @{
  brand = "Ford"
  model = "Mustang"
  year = 1964
}
$thisdict.Values | ForEach-Object {
    $_
}

thisdict = {
  "brand": "Ford",
  "model": "Mustang",
  "year": 1964
}
for x in thisdict.values():
    print(x)
Check if key exists
$thisdict = @{
  brand = "Ford"
  model = "Mustang"
  year = 1964
}
if ($thisdict.ContainsKey("model"))
{
    Write-Host "Yes, 'model' is one of the keys in the thisdict dictionary"
}

thisdict = {
  "brand": "Ford",
  "model": "Mustang",
  "year": 1964
}
if "model" in thisdict:
  print("Yes, 'model' is one of the keys in the thisdict dictionary")
Adding items
$thisdict = @{
  brand = "Ford"
  model = "Mustang"
  year = 1964
}
$thisdict.color = 'red'

thisdict = {
  "brand": "Ford",
  "model": "Mustang",
  "year": 1964
}
thisdict["color"] = "red"

Functions

PowerShellPython
Definition
function my-function()
{
  Write-Host "Hello from a function"  
}
my-function

def my_function():
  print("Hello from a function")

my_function()
Arguments
function my-function($fname, $lname)
{
    Write-Host "$fname $lname"
}
  

my-function -fname "Adam" -lname "Driscoll"

def my_function(fname, lname):
  print(fname + " " + lname)

my_function("Adam", "Driscoll")
Variable Arguments
function my-function()
{
    Write-Host "$($args[2])"
}
  
my-function "Bill" "Ted" "adam"

def my_function(*kids):
  print("The youngest child is " + kids[2])

my_function("Emil", "Tobias", "Linus")
Named Arguments
function my-function($child3, $child2, $child1)
{
    Write-Host "The youngest child is $child3"
}
  
my-function -child1 "Emil" -child2 "Tobias" -child3 "Linus"

def my_function(child3, child2, child1):
  print("The youngest child is " + child3)

my_function(child1 = "Emil", child2 = "Tobias", child3 = "Linus")
Default Values
function my-function
{
    param(
        $country = "Norway"
    )

    Write-Host "I am from $country"
}

def my_function(country = "Norway"):
  print("I am from " + country)
Return Values
function my-function($x)
{
    5 * $x
}
  

def my_function(x):
  return 5 * x

Lambdas

PowerShellPython
Lambda
$x = { param($a) $a + 10 }
& $x 5

x = lambda a : a + 10
print(x(5))

Loops

PowerShellPython
For
$fruits = @("apple", "banana", "cherry")
foreach($x in $fruits)
{
    Write-Host $x
}
  

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
for x in fruits:
  print(x)
While
$i = 1
while ($i -lt 6)
{
    Write-Host $i
    $i++
}

i = 1
while i < 6:
  print(i)
  i += 1
Break
$i = 1
while ($i -lt 6)
{
    Write-Host $i
    if ($i -eq 3)
    {
        break
    }
    $i++
}

i = 1
while i < 6:
   print(i)
   if i == 3:
     break
  i += 1
Continue
$i = 1
while ($i -lt 6)
{
    Write-Host $i
    if ($i -eq 3)
    {
        continue
    }
    $i++
}

i = 1
while i < 6:
   print(i)
   if i == 3:
     continue
  i += 1

Operators

PowerShellPython
Addition
$var = 1 + 1

var = 1 + 1
Subtraction
$var = 1 - 1

var = 1 - 1
Multiplication
$var = 1 * 1

var = 1 * 1
Division
$var = 1 / 1

var = 1 / 1
Modulus
$var = 1 % 1

var = 1 % 1
Floor
[Math]::Floor(10 / 3)

10 // 3
Exponent
[Math]::Pow(10, 3)

10 ** 3

Packages

PowerShellPython
Install
Install-Module PowerShellProtect

pip install camelcase
Import
Import-Module PowerShellProtect

import camelcase
List
Get-Module -ListAvailable

pip list

Strings

PowerShellPython
String
"Hello"

"Hello"
'Hello'
Multiline
@"Hello
World
"@

"""Hello
World"""
Select Character
$str = 'Hello'
$str[0]
# H

str = 'Hello'
str[0]
# 'H'
Length
$str = 'Hello'
$str.Length

str = 'Hello'
len(str)
Remove whitespace at front and back
$str = ' Hello '
$str.Trim()
# Hello

str = ' Hello '
str.strip()
# 'Hello'
To Lowercase
$str = 'HELLO'
$str.ToLower()
# hello

str = 'HELLO'
str.lower()
# 'hello'
To Uppercase
$str = 'hello'
$str.ToUpper()
# HELLO

str = 'hello'
str.upper()
# 'HELLO'
Replace
$str = 'Hello'
$str.Replace('H', 'Y')
# Yello

str = 'Hello'
str.replace('H', 'Y')
# 'Yello'
Split
'Hello, World' -split ','
# @('Hello', ' World')

str = 'Hello, World'
str.split(',')
# ['Hello', ' World']
Join
$array = @("Hello", "World")
$array -join ", "
[String]::Join(', ', $array)

list = ["Hello", "World"]
", ".join(list)
Formatting
$price = 49
$txt = "The price is {0} dollars"
$txt -f $price

price = 49
txt = "The price is {} dollars"
print(txt.format(price))
Formatting by Index
$price = 49
$txt = "The price is {0} dollars"
$txt -f $price

price = 49
txt = "The price is {0} dollars"
print(txt.format(price))
Formatting Strings
$price = 49
"The price is $price dollars"

price = 49
f"The price is {price} dollars"

Try \ Catch

PowerShellPython
try {
    Write-Host $x 
} catch {
    Write-Host "An exception ocurred"
}

try:
  print(x)
except:
  print("An exception occurred")

Variables

PowerShellPython
$var = "Hello"

var = "Hello"
Global
$global:var = "Hello"

global var
var = "Hello"