PowerShell Module Organization for SharePoint Development

In this post, I'll share my approach to organizing PowerShell code. Main objectives:

Minimize code duplication
Keep the structure simple
Make code reusable
Ensure flexibility
Focus on SharePoint development

If you're working with SharePoint and using Visual Studio Code for PowerShell development, check out this post first: VisualStudioCode – PowerShell stubs for SharePoint.

Code organization concepts:

Dot-sourcing
Modules

Dot-Sourcing:

This concept based on specific script call (mask is: . .\script.ps1). Due such execution, all variables that used in script.ps1 will exist in current context (from where you calling script1.ps1). Notice, that when script executes ordinarily, it has mask: .\script.ps1. **Example:**For example, we have script:

$answer=42
write-output ultimate answer is $answer

Lets see how it will be executed ordinarily:

PS D:\temp> .\script.ps1
ultimate answer is 42

PS D:\temp> $answer

And execution as dot-sourced:

PS D:\temp> . .\script.ps1
ultimate answer is 42

PS D:\temp> $answer
42

As you can see, after ordinarily execution, internal variable $answer do not exists in parent context. In dot sourcing it does. ## Modules

This concept based on 2 entities: module manifest and module. Module contains all logic of PowerShell script (such as functions, that you want be exported). Module manifest - easy format to describe this module (which functions will be exported, from where and so on). Let see module in details. For example, i have my Web.psm1 module in powershell-sharepoint repo:

function Get-List-On-Web {
    Param(
        [Microsoft.SharePoint.SPWeb] $web,
        [string] $listUrl
    )

    return $web.GetList($web.Url + '/lists/' + $listUrl)
}

As you can see, it is a typical function. This Web.psm1 file placed in separate folder named Web in utils folder. So, the structure is:

+---scenarios
\---utils
    \---Web
            Web.psd1
            Web.psm1

Near Web.psm1 is also created Web.psd1 file (manifest-file). Command for creating manifest file (described here = [link])

New-ModuleManifest -Path C:\ps-test\Test-Module\Test-Module.psd1 -PassThru

Lets see what manifest file contains:

#
# Module manifest for module 'Web'
#
# Generated by: administrator
#
# Generated on: 14.08.2019
#

@{

# Script module or binary module file associated with this manifest.
RootModule = '.\Web.psm1'

# Version number of this module.
ModuleVersion = '1.0'

# Supported PSEditions
# CompatiblePSEditions = @()

# ID used to uniquely identify this module
GUID = 'd187c4b7-7b8e-4285-a750-6e87477e6a33'

# Author of this module
Author = 'administrator'

# Company or vendor of this module
CompanyName = 'Unknown'

# Copyright statement for this module
Copyright = '(c) 2019 administrator. All rights reserved.'

# Description of the functionality provided by this module
# Description = ''

# Minimum version of the Windows PowerShell engine required by this module
# PowerShellVersion = ''

# Name of the Windows PowerShell host required by this module
# PowerShellHostName = ''

# Minimum version of the Windows PowerShell host required by this module
# PowerShellHostVersion = ''

# Minimum version of Microsoft .NET Framework required by this module. This prerequisite is valid for the PowerShell Desktop edition only.
# DotNetFrameworkVersion = ''

# Minimum version of the common language runtime (CLR) required by this module. This prerequisite is valid for the PowerShell Desktop edition only.
# CLRVersion = ''

# Processor architecture (None, X86, Amd64) required by this module
# ProcessorArchitecture = ''

# Modules that must be imported into the global environment prior to importing this module
# RequiredModules = @()

# Assemblies that must be loaded prior to importing this module
# RequiredAssemblies = @()

# Script files (.ps1) that are run in the caller's environment prior to importing this module.
# ScriptsToProcess = @()

# Type files (.ps1xml) to be loaded when importing this module
# TypesToProcess = @()

# Format files (.ps1xml) to be loaded when importing this module
# FormatsToProcess = @()

# Modules to import as nested modules of the module specified in RootModule/ModuleToProcess
# NestedModules = @()

# Functions to export from this module, for best performance, do not use wildcards and do not delete the entry, use an empty array if there are no functions to export.
FunctionsToExport = @('Get-List-On-Web')

# Cmdlets to export from this module, for best performance, do not use wildcards and do not delete the entry, use an empty array if there are no cmdlets to export.
CmdletsToExport = @()

# Variables to export from this module
VariablesToExport = '*'

# Aliases to export from this module, for best performance, do not use wildcards and do not delete the entry, use an empty array if there are no aliases to export.
AliasesToExport = @()

# DSC resources to export from this module
# DscResourcesToExport = @()

# List of all modules packaged with this module
# ModuleList = @()

# List of all files packaged with this module
# FileList = @()

# Private data to pass to the module specified in RootModule/ModuleToProcess. This may also contain a PSData hashtable with additional module metadata used by PowerShell.
PrivateData = @{

    PSData = @{

        # Tags applied to this module. These help with module discovery in online galleries.
        # Tags = @()

        # A URL to the license for this module.
        # LicenseUri = ''

        # A URL to the main website for this project.
        # ProjectUri = ''

        # A URL to an icon representing this module.
        # IconUri = ''

        # ReleaseNotes of this module
        # ReleaseNotes = ''

    } # End of PSData hashtable

} # End of PrivateData hashtable

# HelpInfo URI of this module
# HelpInfoURI = ''

# Default prefix for commands exported from this module. Override the default prefix using Import-Module -Prefix.
# DefaultCommandPrefix = ''

}

FunctionsToExport - array of function names that will be exported from module
- You can type wildcard * here, but it's not recommended

Basic scenario that uses logic function from external module listed below:

Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.Sharepoint.Powershell

.\Load-Module.ps1 Web

$siteUrl = http://bot-sp2016/
$webUrl = http://bot-sp2016/SalesManagement/
$list = Sale

$web = Get-SPWeb $webUrl
$list = Get-List-On-Web $web $list

LoadModule.ps1 - is helper script for easy Import-Module using from 1 central utility storage:


Param(
    [string] $moduleName
)

Import-Module $PSScriptRoot\..\utils\$moduleName -Force