VS Code with PowerShell extension - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

💻 Command Output

intermediate

What is the output of this PowerShell command in VS Code terminal?

You run this command in the VS Code integrated terminal with PowerShell extension enabled:

Get-Process | Where-Object { $_.CPU -gt 100 }

What does this command output?

PowerShell

Get-Process | Where-Object { $_.CPU -gt 100 }

A A list of processes currently using more than 100 seconds of CPU time.

B An error saying 'CPU' property does not exist.

C All processes running on the system regardless of CPU usage.

D No output because the command is incomplete.

💡 Hint

Think about what the 'Where-Object' filter does with the CPU property.

The command lists all processes where the CPU time used is greater than 100 seconds. The 'CPU' property exists on process objects, so no error occurs.

📝 Syntax

intermediate

Which PowerShell script snippet correctly defines a function in VS Code with PowerShell extension?

You want to create a function named 'Get-Greeting' that returns 'Hello World'. Which snippet is correct?

A function Get-Greeting() => 'Hello World'

B def Get-Greeting() { 'Hello World' }

C func Get-Greeting { echo 'Hello World' }

D function Get-Greeting { return 'Hello World' }

💡 Hint

PowerShell functions use the keyword 'function' without parentheses for parameters if none.

Option D uses the correct PowerShell syntax for defining a function. Other options use syntax from other languages or invalid keywords.

🔧 Debug

advanced

Why does this PowerShell script fail to run in VS Code with PowerShell extension?

You wrote this script:

Write-Host "Starting script..." $number = 5 if $number -gt 3 { Write-Host "Number is greater than 3" }

When running, you get a syntax error. What is the cause?

PowerShell

Write-Host "Starting script..."
$number = 5
if $number -gt 3
{ Write-Host "Number is greater than 3" }

A Missing parentheses around the condition in the if statement.

B Using Write-Host instead of Write-Output causes error.

C Variable $number is not initialized properly.

D Curly braces {} are not allowed in PowerShell.

💡 Hint

PowerShell requires conditions in if statements to be enclosed in parentheses.

PowerShell syntax for if statements requires the condition to be inside parentheses, like: if ($number -gt 3) { ... }

🚀 Application

advanced

How to run a PowerShell script file in VS Code terminal with the PowerShell extension?

You have a script file named 'script.ps1' in your workspace. Which command runs this script correctly in the VS Code integrated terminal?

A run script.ps1

B .\script.ps1

C powershell script.ps1

D execute script.ps1

💡 Hint

In PowerShell, to run a script in the current directory, you prefix with .\

Option B correctly runs the script by specifying the relative path with .\. Other options are invalid commands.

🧠 Conceptual

expert

What is the purpose of the PowerShell extension in VS Code?

Select the best description of what the PowerShell extension adds to VS Code.

A It replaces the VS Code terminal with a custom PowerShell-only terminal.

B It converts PowerShell scripts into executable files automatically.

C It provides syntax highlighting, IntelliSense, debugging, and integrated terminal support for PowerShell scripts.

D It allows running PowerShell scripts only on Windows machines.

💡 Hint

Think about what features help you write and debug scripts inside VS Code.

The PowerShell extension enhances VS Code by adding editing features like syntax highlighting, code completion, debugging tools, and terminal integration for PowerShell.