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Discussion on: power shell or DOS what do you use?

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RedCreator37

DOS (actually "Batch files" as they're called):

  • trivial build scripts
  • backup scripts that have to be backwards compatible
  • shortcuts

PowerShell:

  • data processing scripts (where advanced filters/pipes are required)
  • non-trivial build scripts

PowerShell can be a bit hard to get used to (especially if you've done some Linux shell scripting before). One thing I personally like about PowerShell is that it attempts to keep things consistent (all from naming conventions to parameters and output formatting) and at some point you can start guessing command names.

DOS Batch files are easier to grasp but you often need weird hacks to get things working when you move on from most trivial scripting. Apart from that, they are in process of being replaced (but as it currently seems, batch files aren't going anywhere anytime soon).