Complete PowerShell expertise system across ALL platforms (Windows/Linux/macOS). PROACTIVELY activate for: (1) ANY PowerShell task (scripts/modules/cmdlets), (2) CI/CD automation (GitHub Actions/Azure DevOps/Bitbucket), (3) Cross-platform scripting, (4) Module discovery and management (PSGallery), (

PowerShell Master CRITICAL GUIDELINES Windows File Path Requirements MANDATORY: Always Use Backslashes on Windows for File Paths When using Edit or Write tools on Windows, you MUST use backslashes ( \ ) in file paths, NOT forward slashes ( / ). Examples: WRONG: D:/repos/project/file.tsx CORRECT: D:\repos\project\file.tsx This applies to: Edit tool file path parameter Write tool file path parameter All file operations on Windows systems Documentation Guidelines NEVER create new documentation files unless explicitly requested by the user. Priority : Update existing README.md files rather than creating new documentation Repository cleanliness : Keep repository root clean only README.md unless user requests otherwise Style : Documentation should be concise, direct, and professional avoid AI generated tone User preference : Only create additional .md files when user specifically asks for documentation Complete PowerShell expertise across all platforms for scripting, automation, CI/CD, and cloud management. When to Activate PROACTIVELY activate for ANY PowerShell related task: PowerShell Scripts Creating, reviewing, optimizing any .ps1 file Cmdlets & Modules Finding, installing, using any PowerShell modules Cross Platform Windows, Linux, macOS PowerShell tasks CI/CD Integration GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Bitbucket Pipelines Cloud Automation Azure (Az), AWS, Microsoft 365 (Microsoft.Graph) Module Management PSGallery search, installation, updates Script Debugging Troubleshooting, performance, security Best Practices Code quality, standards, production ready scripts Reference Map Detailed material lives in references/ . Load only what the current task needs. Topic File When to load Cross platform patterns (paths, platform detection, encoding, shell detection) references/cross platform patterns.md Writing scripts that run on Windows + Linux/macOS, or distinguishing PowerShell vs Git Bash Module management (PSResourceGet, PSGallery, popular modules) references/modules and gallery.md Installing/finding modules, Az 14.5.0, Microsoft.Graph 2.32.0, PnP, AWS Tools, offline installs CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Bitbucket) references/cicd integration.md Setting up automated PowerShell builds/tests with multi platform matrices Syntax & cmdlet reference (variables, operators, flow, functions, pipeline, error handling, Pester, performance, REST) references/syntax reference.md Authoring scripts, looking up cmdlets, writing Pester tests, performance tuning Security (JEA, WDAC, Constrained Language Mode, Script Block Logging, credentials, code signing) references/security 2025.md Production security hardening, credential management, audit logging PowerShell Overview PowerShell Versions & Platforms PowerShell 7+ (Recommended) Cross platform: Windows, Linux, macOS Open source, actively developed Better performance than PowerShell 5.1 UTF 8 by default Parallel execution support Ternary operators, null coalescing Windows PowerShell 5.1 (Legacy) Windows only Ships with Windows UTF 16LE default encoding Required for some Windows specific modules Installation Locations: Windows: C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\ (PS7) or C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\ (5.1) Linux: /opt/microsoft/powershell/7/ or /usr/bin/pwsh macOS: /usr/local/microsoft/powershell/7/ or /usr/local/bin/pwsh Core Workflow 1. Identify scope — Is this a script, module, automation pipeline, or one off command? Note target platform(s). 2. Check version & modules — $PSVersionTable.PSVersion , Get Module ListAvailable . Confirm PowerShell 7+ unless legacy required. 3. Load the relevant reference(s) from the Reference Map above. Avoid loading material you do not need. 4. Apply the pre flight checklist (below) before authoring or running production scripts. 5. Validate — Invoke ScriptAnalyzer for linting, Invoke Pester for tests, WhatIf for destructive cmdlets. Pre Flight Checklist for Scripts Before running any PowerShell script, ensure: 1. Platform Detection Use $IsWindows , $IsLinux , $IsMacOS (see references/cross platform patterns.md ) 2. Version Check Requires Version 7.0 if needed 3. Module Requirements Requires Modules specified 4. Error Handling try/catch blocks in place 5. Input Validation Parameter validation attributes used (see references/syntax reference.md ) 6. No Aliases Full cmdlet names in scripts 7. Path Handling Use Join Path or [IO.Path]::Combine() 8. Encoding Specified UTF 8 for cross platform 9. Credentials Secure Never hardcoded (see references/security 2025.md ) 10. Verbose Logging Write Verbose for debugging Quick Decision Guide Use PowerShell 7+ when: Cross platform compatibility needed New projects or scripts Performance is important Modern language features desired Use Windows PowerShell 5.1 when: Windows specific modules required (WSUS, GroupPolicy legacy) Corporate environments with strict version requirements Legacy script compatibility needed Choose Azure CLI when: Simple one liners needed JSON output preferred Bash scripting integration Choose PowerShell Az module when: Complex automation required Object manipulation needed PowerShell scripting expertise available Reusable scripts and modules needed Minimal Script Skeleton Expand this skeleton using patterns from references/syntax reference.md (advanced functions, pipeline, error handling) and references/security 2025.md (input validation, credential handling). Additional Resources PowerShell Docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell PowerShell Gallery: https://www.powershellgallery.com Az Module Docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/azure Microsoft Graph Docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/graph/powershell For shell detection on Windows (PowerShell vs Git Bash), see the powershell shell detection skill. Remember: ALWAYS research latest PowerShell documentation and module versions before implementing solutions. The PowerShell ecosystem evolves rapidly, and best practices are updated frequently.

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