Using PnP.PowerShell in Visual Studio Code
PnP.PowerShell is one of my favorite tools of the trade. I’ve had to set up multiple machines for myself or others for this lately, and I always find myself looking for the fastest path to glory. Usually, it takes about 9 articles and 15 blind alleys, so I figured I’d capture what seems to work for me. Hopefully I can keep this up to date if things change.
Install Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code aka VS Code aka VSCode aka Code (which I’ll use in the rest of this post) is the “modern”, free code editor from Microsoft. I’ve used dozens of code editors over the years and Code is one of the best. Plus, everyone else is using it!
Obviously, you need to have VS Code installed to start. You can download it from Download Visual Studio Visual Studio Code – Mac, Linux, Windows.
Set Execution Policy
This one gets me every time. You’ll want your Execution Policies set like this:
This allows you to install PowerShell modules with less friction. It’s possible your organization won’t let you make this change. You can see your current settings by typing
Get-ExecutionPolicy -Listin a terminal window. To open things up, run this cmdlet:
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope LocalMachineI’m sure there are reasons to set this in different ways based on your organization’s view of security. I’m not going to get into that here: heed your governance rules.
Install PowerShell 7
If you’re running a Windows machine, you’ve most likely got PowerShell 5 (PS5) installed by default. PowerShell 7 (PS7) has more capabilities and is required for PnP.PowerShell to run successfully. Some cmdlets may run just fine with PS5, but don’t be fooled: you want PS7.)
Installing PowerShell on Windows – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs
Install the PowerShell Extension
One of the great things about Code is the rich ecosystem of extensions. The PowerShell extension from Microsoft makes Code smart about PowerShell. You want it.
PowerShell – Visual Studio Marketplace
Switch Code to PS7
I find the instructions for this confusing. PS5 is also called Windows PowerShell (x64) and PS7 is also called PowerShell (x64). In other words, the 5 and 7 don’t show un in the instructions in Using Visual Studio Code for PowerShell Development – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs.
This part is clear:
Use the following steps to choose the version:
- Open the Command Palette on Windows or Linux with Ctrl+Shift+P. On macOS, use Cmd+Shift+P.
- Search for Session.
- Click on PowerShell: Show Session Menu.
- Choose the version of PowerShell you want to use from the list.
You’ll want to choose PowerShell (x64), if it isn’t already selected.
Pro tip: When you’ve got a PowerShell file (.ps1, .psm1, etc.) open, you can also get to the PowerShell Session Menu by clicking on the squiggly brackets next to PowerShell in the bottom toolbar. Plus, the version is there!
Install PnP.PowerShell
Finally, the piece de resistance: PnP.PowerShell. This is the module that lets us do so much with Microsoft 365. If you’re using the SPO module instead, I say switch.
You need to run Code as an administrator if you want to install modules. To do this, I usually just type Code in the search box in Windows 11, right click the result, and choose Run as administrator.
From here, follow the instruction on the Installing PnP PowerShell | PnP PowerShell page.
Happy PowerShelling!
This article is for those of you on a Windows machine. I don’t have a Mac, nor do I want a Mac. I also don’t run Linux. Or a Sinclair Z-80 (though I loved the one I had way back when, it wouldn’t run PowerShell).
I expect I’ve missed a few little bits here. Feel free to tell me so in the comments, and I’ll make updates. Also, let me know if this is helpful!
And then you can get some stash to see where you`re at using oh-my-posh, https://pnp.github.io/blog/post/how-to-use-oh-my-posh-with-pnppowershell/