Editing Windows Script Host (section)

{{Short description|Automation technology for Windows}}
{{Infobox software
| name                   = Windows Script Host (WSH)
| logo                   = Windows Script Host Icon.png
| screenshot             = 
| screenshot_size        = 
| caption                = 
| other_names            = Windows Scripting Host
| developer              = [[Microsoft]]
| released               = 
| discontinued           = 
| latest release version = 5.812
| latest release date    = 
| operating system       = [[Microsoft Windows]]
| replaced_by            = 
| genre                  = Automation technology
| license                = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] [[commercial software]]
| website                = {{URL|1=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2003/cc738350(v=ws.10)|2=Windows Script Host overview}}
}}
The [[Microsoft]] '''Windows Script Host''' ('''WSH''') (formerly named '''Windows Scripting Host''') is an automation technology for [[Microsoft Windows]] [[operating system]]s that provides scripting abilities comparable to [[batch file]]s, but with a wider range of supported features. This tool was first provided on Windows 95 after Build 950a on the installation discs as an optional installation configurable and installable by means of the [[Control Panel (Windows)|Control Panel]], and then a standard component of Windows 98 (Build 1111) and subsequent and Windows NT 4.0 Build 1381 and by means of Service Pack 4. WSH is also a means of automation for [[Internet Explorer]] via the installed WSH engines from IE Version 3.0 onwards; at this, time VBScript became a means of automation for [[Microsoft Outlook]] 97.<ref>?MSDN, "Windows Scripting Host" and "VBScript"</ref>  WSH is also an optional install provided with a VBScript and JScript engine for [[Windows CE]] 3.0 and following; some third-party engines, including [[Rexx]] and other forms of [[BASIC]], are also available.<ref>MSDN April 2000 edition, "Windows Scripting Host"</ref><ref>The VBScript Bible (1999)</ref><ref>Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit (documentation</ref>

It is language-independent in that it can make use of different [[Active Scripting]] language engines. By default, it interprets and runs plain-text [[JScript]] (.JS and {{Not a typo|.JSE}} files) and [[VBScript]] (.VBS and {{Not a typo|.VBE}} files).

Users can install different [[scripting engine]]s to enable them to script in other languages, for instance [[PerlScript]]. The language-independent [[filename extension]] WSF can also be used. The advantage of the [[Windows Script File]] (.WSF) is that it allows multiple scripts ("jobs") as well as a combination of scripting languages within a single file.

WSH engines include various implementations for the [[Rexx]], [[Object REXX|ooRexx]] (up to version 4.0.0), [[BASIC]], [[Perl]], [[Ruby (programming language)|Ruby]], [[Tcl]], [[PHP]], [[JavaScript]], [[Object Pascal|Delphi]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]], [[XSLT]], and other languages.

Windows Script Host is distributed and installed by default on [[Windows 98]] and later versions of Windows. It is also installed if [[Internet Explorer 5]] (or a later version) is installed. Beginning with [[Windows 2000]], the Windows Script Host became available for use with user login scripts.