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The Windows PowerShell RTW installers for Windows Vista RTM are already available for free download: Download Windows PowerShell 1.0 Installation for X86 Edition Download Windows PowerShell 1.0 Installation for X64 Edition Further details can be found in the PowerShell Team blog. We recommend installing Windows PowerShell prior to installing PowerGadgets in order to take advantage of some features that are only available through the use of the PowerGadgets cmdlets. However, the PowerGadgets Creator allows the creation of gadgets connecting to databases and web services without the need of Windows PowerShell. IvanG

The latest licensed version available is also 1.0.2588. If you have an older version you may want to re-download the latest version from the URL indicated in the email you received with your purchase. Please make sure you uninstall your previous version before installing the latest build. IvanG

What you are looking for is achieved using the ConditionalAttributes parameter. For example, the following line will color any point between 5 and 20 in Red: import-csv chart.tmp|out-chart -values value -label country -palette highcontrast -series_0_gallery lines -ConditionalAttributes_0_Color Red -ConditionalAttributes_0_Condition_From 5 -ConditionalAttributes_0_Condition_To 20 Your sample will reflect better the condition if you use a bar chart instead of lines. since gradual changes are not supported. It will also show fine if you add another entry to your csv file, like: Canada, 15. If you create several ConditionalAttributes it can become quite verbose. One option to overcome this is to use the Template Creator (using out-chart -config)

Since our first PowerGadgets public build in November 2006 (1.0.2508), we have made a series of bug fixes and added a number of interesting new features, based on our research and customer feedback. The features we have added since the build 1.0.2508 are: Support for Drilldown: this is one of the features most often required by our customers. Now PowerGadgets supports drilldown through hierarchical data as well as drilldown to a separate script, allowing for very useful scenarios. Drilldown is available through any of the PowerGadgets display cmdlets. Creation of native Windows Vista Sidebar gadgets: now the PowerGadgets Creator allows packaging gadgets as native Sidebar gadget files (.gadget) allowing for an even easier deployment. Gadget files are highly customizable and can even be signed through a comprehensive wizard. This option is available through the Creator File menu. Password Encryption: in order to increase the security of our gadgets, we now support password encryption in the PowerGadgets files created with the PG Creator. Passwords can be stored using any of the following methods: Saved as Clear Text: passwords are not encrypted. Encrypted using information from the local computer and current user: passwords are encrypted using DPAPI, which is highly secure but can only be decrypted in the same machine/user in which it was encrypted. This is the default option, useful for personal use. Encrypted using a Digital Signature: passwords are encrypted using a certificate which must be deployed to any computer in which the gadget plans to run. Clipboard support: cut/copy/paste is now available in the PowerGadgets Creator and the Template Creator. This allows for an easy duplication of a gadget within a group. This also allows you to copy all the features from a template (created using the -config parameter) to a gadget file, and viceversa. Clipboard support is also available through any gadget created using one of the PowerGadgets cmdlets (out-chart, out-gauge and out-map). Pressing Ctrl-C on a running gadget will copy it to the clipboard, which can be then pasted into the PowerGadgets Creator and the Template Creator. The gadget is also copied as a bitmap, in case you want to paste it into another application, such as Word, Excel or any graphical tool. Enhancements in Gadget Sizing: besides the basic -size <width,height> option provided initially, we have added some preset sizing options (Larger, Large, Medium, Small, Smaller and Icon). Those options are available through the cmdlets -size parameter (even included in tab completion) as well as the Creator (Edit -> Desktop Settings -> Layout...) and more importantly, as an end-user tool (right-click -> Size). One interesting size option we added is Icon, which minimizes the desktop real estate occupied by the gadgets. In the case of charts and maps, each size option changes font sizes and hides/shows tools automatically in order to maximize data display. For example, the legend box's font size is reduced in the Small size and completely hidden in Smaller and Icon sizes. The Icon size option goes even beyond and applies a minimal-ink algorithm, which we also use in our Vista Sidebar gadgets. The following image shows a chart of the current processes (get-process) in three different sizes: Large, Smaller and Icon: Sidebar FlyOut support: Windows Sidebar offers an interesting feature called FlyOut, which is typically used to display further information about a gadget when you click on it. One example of the use of FlyOuts is the Feed Headlines gadget included with Vista, which is used to show the details of a news when you click on it. When you click on any gadget created with PowerGadgets, a details FlyOut appears with detailed information about the gadget. In the case of any of our gauges (vertical, linear or digital), the FlyOut shows the details of the different values shown in it, which are normally just a few. In the case of charts and maps, since the number of values shown may be larger than a gauge, the functionality is even more powerful. You can hover the mouse on any of the data points and the chart will highlight such point on the chart (by dimming the rest of the values) and will display the details on the FlyOut window, such as shown below: Resource Optimization when refreshing: this enhancement is not too visible but is very important to improve resource usage. Originally, we maintained an open connection to the data provider (database connection or PowerShell session) for self-refreshing gadgets while the gadget was running, regardless of the refresh timespan. This was useful for small refresh times because we didn't have to pay the price of creating a new connection with every refresh, but on the other hand, it maintained an open connection permanently, which was a waste of resources for larger refresh times. Now, we maintain the connection open only if the refresh time is one minute or less. This default behavior can be overridden in the PowerGadgets Creator (Data -> Keep Connection Open). Sidebar Visibility Support: now the Sidebar gadgets stop refreshing when they are not visible, thus saving resources. There are different scenarios in which the Sidebar gadgets are not visible, such as when you close the Sidebar. Some other scenarios are shown here: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows-Vista-Gadget-Visibility-34715.shtml Enhancements in Group Tabs: this new version supports closable tabs, as well as keyboard support for navigation (Ctrl-<index>, Ctrl-Home, Ctrl-End) and closing (Ctrl-W) ScriptBlocks support improvements: this version now supports specifying scriptblocks in the -values and -label parameters. For example, we now support this: ps | out-chart -values {$_.Handles + 10} -label {$_.Name + "-" + $_.Company} ScriptBlocks are also supported in a special XML file we provide for configuring defaults (DefaultViews.xml). We expect to elaborate on the ScriptBlock support capabilities in a different blog post. Snapins support in Creator: the PowerGadgets Creator now supports access to cmdlets from other registered snapins when using the PowerShell data option. ODBC support: now we support ODBC natively through the PowerGadgets Creator. It is also supported via the invoke-sql cmdlet; when the connection string starts with ODBC it will use ODBC for connection. Error Handling in Desktop gadgets: when there is an error trying to refresh the data for a gadget, an error icon will appear in one of the gadget's corners. Clicking on the icon will show a dialog with error details. This feature was previously supported on Sidebar gadgets only. Credential support: PowerShell credential objects are now supported in the invoke-sql and send-mail cmdlets. DataSet support in Web Services: now you can use the invoke-webservice cmdlet returning a DataSet and the out-chart, out-gauge and out-map cmdlets will use it properly. HideFromAltTab support: showing multiple gadgets on your desktop is very useful since it becomes the desktop an ideal dashboard container. However, it may clutter the dialog when you press Alt-Tab to switch among running windows. To avoid this, you can use the -HideFromAltTab parameter with any of our display cmdlets. This option is also available through the PowerGadgets Creator (Edit -> Desktop Settings -> Hide from Alt-Tab). In future blogs, we plan to elaborate in some of the features exposed above. Feedback regarding new features is always welcome. IvanG

A new build fixing this issue is publicly available now at www.powergadgets.com/trial. Make sure you remove your current version before installing the new build. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. IvanG

We detected an issue which caused PowerShell to hang under certain circumstances. The issue has been fixed and a new public build is already available. Please download the latest version from www.powergadgets.com/trial. Make sure you uninstall your current version before installing the new build. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. IvanG

- Create a script called ImportCsvWeb.ps1 with the following $url = $args[0] $tempFile = [system.IO.Path]::GetTempFileName() $webClient = new-object System.Net.WebClient $webClient.DownloadFile($url,$tempFile) $data = import-csv $tempFile [system.IO.File]::Delete($tempFile) $data - Invoke it in a powershell session (or script) as follows .\importcsvweb.ps1 "http://<your csv file URL>" | out-chart -values <ValueColumns> -label <LabelColumn> Note that in this case we let ImportCsvWeb to return the data without any "casting" to allow reuse of this script with multiple CSV files. You tell the out-chart cmdlet which fields should be plotted through the -values parameter (which must contain only numbers)

There is a missing close quote in your pipe (after Microsoft*). First, I tried your line and got a >> symbol from PowerShell, which indicated that the line was not complete for execution. Then I realized about the missing quote and tried the following, which works fine for me: PS | where {$_.Company -like "*Microsoft*"} | out-chart I also tried your line without piping to out-chart, with the same results (>>): PS | where {$_.Company -like "*Microsoft*} IvanG

We have enabled this option. Thank you for pointing this out. IvanG ChartFX_Zoom_Exception.zip

The PowerGadgets architecture is much more complex than that. We have a large number of executables and processes interacting with each other and with the system resources. Explaining those interactions in a few lines would be almost impossible and would also reveal parts of our technology which we are not allowed to. I am sorry we can't be any more specific on this issue. On the other hand, if you elaborate on the type of widgets/gadgets you are creating, perhaps we can help you achieve them through the use of any of our PowerGadgets cmdlets. That would give you the advantage of using all the features we have implemented in PowerGadgets through thousands and thousands of man-hour in research and development. Regards Ivan GiugniProduct ManagerPowerGadgets

Executing any of our cmdlets does not block PowerShell by default. There is one option in which PowerShell is blocked until you close the gadget, which is when you execute the cmdlet with the -modal option. In that case, the chart/gauge/map is shown in a modal window, which blocks PSH until you close it; there are a few circumstances in which you may want to show the gadget in modal way, but it is not the default behavior. Can you please elaborate on how you are running your cmdlets? IvanG

In our initial usability tests, it seemed that having shortcuts to the samples in the Start menu could be somehow misleading because they didn't execute upon clicking on the sample, but rather the ps1 was open. For such reason, we decided to leave the samples folder but removing the links. We are still debating whether exposing the samples through the Start menu is a good practice or not. What is your opinion on that?

We should upload a new installer later this week fixing this issue. In the meantime, you can use the file attached to this post. TestApplication.zip

Did you download the trial version from our website?

You probably have an older installer with instructions for PowerShell RC1. In the RTW version of PowerShell, the name and location changed to the following: Folder name: WindowsPowerShell (containing the profile.ps1)Must be copied to your \My Documents folder. The instructions you mention in your post apply to the RC1 version of PowerShell. IvanG

Thank you very much for your suggestion. Even though we currently don't support specifically an out-workflow cmdlet, we do support an out-map cmdlet which can be configured to work as a State Machine Work Flow. The out-map cmdlet allows you to draw the different objects of a given shape (for example a map) in different colors based on the underlying data and a set of rules. This cmdlet can be customized to draw any given shape, in addition to the hundreds of maps included with the product. We include one example called ServerMap.ps1 under the Maps subfolder, which changes the state of a server from online (green) to offline (red). For details about how to create your own map, please contact support at powergadgets dot com. IvanGPowerGadgets

In order to run a pgf file you need PowerGadgets installed on the client computer. For evaluation purposes, all you need to do is installing the trial version. Once you are ready to deploy, we offer Client licenses which include the functionality required to run pgf files as well as any of our PowerShell cmdlets. You will need a Creator license to create pgf files or to run the template creator through the -config parameter. We don't foresee providing a trial version with the client functionality only. BTW, the product was formally released on November 14th, so it is NOT BETA any longer. We still have some online resources which the beta testers accessed during the beta phase, but those resources will be taken offline very soon.

We removed th "Who is online" earlier today. I'm not sure about the Home link, though.

If you are creating a full Windows Forms application then you should use Chart FX for Visual Studio 2005 and Chart FX Extension Pack (maps), since those are the base components used by PowerGadgets. You will have all of functionality currently provided by out-chart/out-map, with the advantage of using a native WinForms component. A webforms component is also available, as well as gauges (Chart FX Gauges). Chart FX information is found at www.softwarefx.com.

The latest installer uses the same settings as the PowerShell command window. I'm not sure if the public trial already has those settings, but in any event, the next public build will have it.

Upon further review, we detected that the line was not intentionally draw in the map, but it was kind of a bug in the SVG. The updated SVG will be included in the next public build, but if you need it right away, please contact us at support@softwarefx.com.

We have realized that some topics require further technical explanation, but we don't want to clutter the standard documentation with highly detailed information. For such reason, we will start blogging very soon, and may eventually add a FAQ section. Thank you for your great suggestions!

When you invoke out-map without piped data, we show one series of random data. When the map has just one series of data, and no conditional attributes have been specified, a set of evenly distributed ranges are created, using shades of the base color for the first series, taken from the palette by default. The number of ranges can be changed using the -steps parameter, and the colors can be changed using -ColorFrom and -ColorTo. For example, out-map -steps 7 -ColorFrom Red -ColorTo Blue, will give you a map with 7 ranges, with colors blending from Red to Blue. If -ColorTo is omitted, you will get shades of the color specified in ColorFrom. We create these ranges for increasing the ease of use, but if you need non evenly spaced ranges or further customization, then you can use ConditionalAttributes (e.g. one range goes from 0 to 10, and another range goes from 10 to 50). Using ConditionalAttributes disables the auto generation of ranges. When the map has multiple series of data, like our Election sample, the colors are taken from the series, which change with the palette. For each map region, a "winner" column is selected, using Max by default (the winner criteria can be changed using the -WinnerSeriesType parameter, supporting Min and Max). You can also override any series color using the parameter _series_<index>_Color (index is zero-based).

Prevent collisions is an option used by the charts, to make sure the point labels don't collide. This option has no effect in maps, since the labels are fixed and designed to avoid collision from the beginning. The wizard infrastructure is shared among both controls (chart and map), making it very difficult to remove from the map wizard pages. This is something we expect fixing in a future version.

Adjust data to map is used for two main purposes: 1. To filter the data fields you want in your map: our maps need at least one string field which will be used as the link between your data and the map (e.g. country name), and one or more numerical fields. If you pass more than one string fields, you'd use "Adjust data to map" to select the field used as link. Also, it allows you to select the field(s) used for plotting. For example, if your data contains one field called country and two fields representing Population and Income-per-capita, you may want to create a map with one of those numerical fields only. However, if your data represents a comparison betwee two values, like election results, you probably want to use both values in your map, letting the map select the winner for each region. 2. To help you create the LabelLink file, via the UI. In any event, adjust data to map makes sense only when you have passed data to the map. We are thinking about graying out this option until the data has been specified. Please let us know if you have found any other particular issue with this option.