Essential syntax rules and pitfalls for Windows PowerShell scripting.

• Parentheses required around all cmdlet calls when using logical operators (-or, -and); missing them causes parsing errors
• Unicode and emoji characters prohibited in scripts; use ASCII-only alternatives like [OK], [!], [WARN] for status indicators
• Null checks mandatory before property access; always validate objects exist before calling methods or accessing properties
• JSON operations require explicit -Depth parameter to serialize nested objects correctly
• Error handling via $ErrorActionPreference and try/catch patterns; avoid returning inside try blocks and use finally for cleanup