I'm learning PowerShell and have a C# background, so I'm interested in how the two fit together since both use the .NET ecosystem. I'd like a convenient way to write C# and edit PowerShell scripts from inside a Windows 11 virtual machine. Is PowerShell itself practical as a command-line text editor, or should I use a separate tool that runs from the PowerShell terminal?
4 Answers
PowerShell is a scripting language and shell, not really a full-screen text editor. It can read, create, and modify text files, but it isn’t designed for freely editing code. For proper PowerShell and .NET development, Visual Studio Code is usually the best choice. It supports both languages, has a built-in terminal, extensions, and can work with files on a remote or virtual machine.
The older PowerShell ISE is available on some Windows installations and is serviceable for basic scripts, but it’s no longer the preferred option. Visual Studio Code with the PowerShell extension is the more capable and actively supported choice. You can also connect from your local editor to the virtual machine, so the editor doesn’t necessarily have to run inside the VM.
A PowerShell-based editor can be an interesting learning project, and small scripts can modify particular parts of a file with commands such as Get-Content. However, that’s different from having an interactive code editor. Unless the goal is experimentation or a minimal environment, using a terminal editor or Visual Studio Code will be faster and more practical.
If you specifically want a terminal-based editor, you can run tools such as Nano, Vim, Micro, Helix, or the newer Edit command from PowerShell. They’re useful for quick changes or working over a remote connection, but they won’t generally be as comfortable for larger C# projects or PowerShell development as a dedicated IDE.
I usually prefer built-in tools when moving between machines, but I still install Visual Studio Code whenever I’ll be doing serious PowerShell work. The editing, completion, debugging, and language support make it much more efficient.