#PSTip How do you tell which version of a module’s Help files you have installed?

Note: This tip requires PowerShell 3.0.

Before you start using PowerShell 3.0, learn about the Updatable Help feature first. The about_Updatable_Help help topic is a good place to start. Also, the Hey, Scripting Guy! blog has published two blog posts written by June Blender, a senior programming writer on the Windows PowerShell team–Understanding and Using Updatable PowerShell Help and Where is PowerShell Updatable Help for Windows Modules?. June is responsible for most of the PowerShell help topics, thus there is no better person to talk about these subjects.

Tomorrow night (9/27), the PowerScripting Podcast’s dynamic duo (Hal and Jon) will be speaking to June about Updatable Help and other exciting new features of windows PowerShell 3.0. Be sure to join them live tomorrow at 9:30 PM EDT at live.powerscripting.net!

Today’s tip is inspired by June’s script from one of the mentioned blog posts and will show you a different approach to find versions of modules’ Help files that you have installed on your machine:

dir $pshome\*helpinfo.xml -Recurse | foreach {
    $modulename = ($_.Name -split '_')[0]
    $UICultures = ((Get-Content $_)).HelpInfo.SupportedUICultures.UICulture
    $UICultures | foreach {
        [pscustomobject]@{
            ModuleName = $modulename
            Version = $_.UICultureVersion
            UICulture = $_.UICultureName
        }
    }
}