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How to use the Windows Scripting Host

The WSH comes in two versions - one for MS-DOS sessions, the other for the Windows environment.

Using the MS-DOS version

First open an MS-DOS window, then type:

CSCRIPT scriptfile [WSH options] [script options]

where:

scriptfile is the name of the script to be executed, e.g. MyScript.vbs (VBScript file names in .vbs, JavaScript file names end in .js).

WSH options control the behaviour of the Windows Scripting Host while executing the script. The options include:

//B Batch Mode: suppresses display of prompts and error messages.
//T:nn Time-out, i.e. the maximum number of seconds the script can run. If omitted, the script can run indefinitely
//nologo Prevents display of the WSH identification banner
//H:Cscript Registers Cscript.exe as the default application for running scripts
//S Saves the current command-line options for this user.
//? Displays a help screen of command details.

Script Options are parameters supplied to the script itself, e.g. file names, dates etc. Each parameter is preceded by a single /. Script options have no pre-determined format - these are decided by the script's author.

Using the Windows version of the scripting host.

The Windows version of the WSH is called Wscript.exe, but you need never call it directly. Instead, you can simply double-click on a script file (with a .vbs or .js name extension), and Wscript.exe will automatically load and run it (if this doesn't happen, then WSH hasn't been installed properly on your system).

Creating and using script control (.WSH) files.

You can also create control files for scripts. These have a .WSH filename extension, and provide an alternative to command-line WSH options (see above), allowing you to manage items such as the maximum time allowed for a script to run.

To create a WSH file, right-click on the relevant script file (.js or .vbs), choose Properties from the pop-up menu, then choose the Script tab from the resulting dialog box. Alter any of the properties on the dialog page, press OK, and a .WSH file with the same name as the script will be created. You can then double-click on the .WSH file to load the script with your chosen options. .WSH files can also be run by CSCRIPT.exe from an MS-DOS prompt.

.WSH files are simple text files, and contain the same layout as Windows .INI files. You can edit them with Windows Notepad or any other text editor. By creating multiple versions of a .WSH file, you can run the same script, but with different parameters.
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