Windows Scripting Host

Microsoft® Windows® Script Host (WSH) is a language-independent scripting host for Windows Script compatible scripting engines. It brings simple, powerful, and flexible scripting to the Windows 32-bit platform, allowing you to run scripts from both the Windows desktop and the command prompt.

Windows Script Host is ideal for non-interactive scripting needs, such as logon scripting, administrative scripting, and machine automation.

Windows Script Host (WSH) is a Windows administration tool.

WSH creates an environment for hosting scripts. That is, when a script arrives at your computer, WSH plays the part of the host — it makes objects and services available for the script and provides a set of guidelines within which the script is executed. Among other things, Windows Script Host manages security and invokes the appropriate script engine.

WSH is language-independent for WSH-compliant scripting engines. It brings simple, powerful, and flexible scripting to the Windows platform, allowing you to run scripts from both the Windows desktop and the command prompt.

Windows Script Host is ideal for noninteractive scripting needs, such as logon scripting, administrative scripting, and machine automation.

NOTE: You can type wscript /? at the command prompt to see the syntax for Windows Scripting Host.

WSH Objects and Services

Windows Script Host provides several objects for direct manipulation of script execution, as well as helper functions for other actions. Using these objects and services, you can accomplish tasks such as the following:

Print messages to the screen
Run basic functions such as CreateObject and GetObject
Map network drives
Connect to printers
Retrieve and modify environment variables
Modify registry keys

Where Is WSH?

Windows Script Host is built into Microsoft Windows 98, 2000, and Millennium Editions. If you are running Windows 95, you can download Windows Script Host 5.6 from the Microsoft Windows Script Technologies Web site (http://msdn.microsoft.com/scripting).

Note You can also go to the web site listed above to upgrade your current engines. The version of WSH in Windows 98, 2000, and Millennium Editions is either version 1.0 or 2.0. You must upgrade to version 5.6 to get the new features.

The Windows Script Host object model consists of 14 objects. The root object is the WScript object.

The illustration that follows represents the Windows Script Host Object Model hierarchy. Click an object in the diagram to see its associated Help topic.

The Windows Script Host object model provides a logical, systematic way to perform many administrative tasks. The set of COM interfaces it provides can be placed into two main categories:

Script Execution and Troubleshooting
This set of interfaces allows scripts to perform basic manipulation of the Windows Script Host, output messages to the screen, and perform basic COM functions such as CreateObject and GetObject.
Helper Functions
Helper functions are properties and methods for performing actions, such as mapping network drives, connecting to printers, retrieving and modifying environment variables, and manipulating registry keys. Administrators can also use the Windows Script Host helper functions to create simple logon scripts.

WSH Objects and Associated Tasks

The following table is a list of the WSH objects and the typical tasks associated with them.

Object	What you can do with this object
Wscript	Set and retrieve command line arguments Determine the name of the script file Determine the host file name (wscript.exe or cscript.exe) Determine the host version information Create, connect to, and disconnect from COM objects Sink events Stop a script's execution programmatically Output information to the default output device (for example, a dialog box or the command line)
WshArguments	Access the entire set of command-line arguments
WshNamed	Access the set of named command-line arguments
WshUnnamed	Access the set of unnamed command-line arguments
WshNetwork	Connect to and disconnect from network shares and network printers Map and unmap network shares Access information about the currently logged-on user
WshController	Create a remote script process using the Controller method CreateScript()
WshRemote	Remotely administer computer systems on a computer network Programmatically manipulate other programs/scripts
WshRemote Error	Access the error information available when a remote script (a WshRemote object) terminates as a result of a script error
WshShell	Run a program locally Manipulate the contents of the registry Create a shortcut Access a system folder Manipulate environment variables (such as WINDIR, PATH, or PROMPT)
WshShortcut	Programmatically create a shortcut
WshSpecialfolders	Access any of the Windows Special Folders
WshURLShortcut	Programmatically create a shortcut to an Internet resource
WshEnvironment	Access any of the environment variables (such as WINDIR, PATH, or PROMPT)
WshScriptExec	Determine status and error information about a script run with Exec() Access the StdIn, StdOut, and StdErr channels

In addition to the object interfaces provided by Windows Script Host, administrators can use any ActiveX control that exposes automation interfaces to perform various tasks on the Windows platform. For example, administrators can write scripts to manage the Windows Active Directory Service Interface (ADSI).