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DscResource.Authoring is a PowerShell module for authoring Microsoft Desired State Configuration (DSC) resources. It helps module authors create DSC v3 resource manifests for PowerShell class-based DSC resources and work with DSC manifest files in automation.

1. What is DscResource.Authoring?
2. Why use it?
3. Available commands
4. Authoring workflow

What is DscResource.Authoring?

DscResource.Authoring provides commands that inspect PowerShell class-based DSC resources and generate DSC v3 adapted resource manifests. Adapted resource manifests improve DSC resource discovery and execution speed by giving dsc.exe metadata up front. They also provide schema context so commands such as dsc resource schema --resource <resource-type> can return the resource schema.

Microsoft DSC discovers PowerShell adapted resource manifests through the PowerShell discovery extension. The extension searches module paths from $env:PSModulePath for DSC manifest files, including adapted resource manifest files. When you publish these files with your PowerShell module and users install the module from PowerShell Gallery, DSC can discover the manifests from the installed module path.

The module reads PowerShell source files and module manifests, discovers classes marked with [DscResource()], extracts resource properties and capabilities, and creates JSON-compatible manifest objects.

Use this module when you need to prepare PowerShell DSC resources for use with Microsoft DSC v3.

Why use DscResource.Authoring?

• Automate manifest generation — create adapted resource manifests from existing PowerShell class-based DSC resources.
• Use class metadata — derive schema properties from [DscProperty()] attributes, enums, property types, and class methods.
• Improve schema output — use comment-based help and property overrides to produce clearer JSON schema descriptions and constraints.
• Bundle manifests — combine adapted resource manifests into a DSC resource manifest list.
• Improve DSC discovery and execution — produce manifest files that give dsc.exe resource metadata and schema information before it invokes the resource.
• Publish with modules — ship adapted resource manifests in your module so the PowerShell discovery extension can find them through $env:PSModulePath.
• Support resource schema commands — provide schema context for commands such as dsc resource schema --resource <resource-type>.

The diagram below shows the concrete differences between running a PowerShell DSC resource with and without an adapted resource manifest across four areas: how discovery is triggered, when schema information becomes available, the first-run cost, and authoring tool support.

Figure 1: DSC resource discovery and execution (with and without an adapted resource manifest.)

Without a manifest, DSC must spawn the PowerShell adapter at runtime, make a second adapter call to retrieve the schema (if it even can), and load all modules on $env:PSModulePath before the resource can run. With a manifest, discovery is a file read, the schema is embedded in the manifest, PowerShell startup cost is eliminated, and VS Code can provide IntelliSense immediately from the embedded schema.

Available commands

Command	Description
New-DscAdaptedResourceManifest	Creates adapted resource manifest objects from class-based PowerShell DSC resources.
Import-DscAdaptedResourceManifest	Imports adapted resource manifest objects from .dsc.adaptedResource.json files.
Import-DscResourceManifest	Imports a DSC resource manifest list from a .dsc.manifests.json file.
New-DscPropertyOverride	Creates a DscPropertyOverride object for use with Update-DscAdaptedResourceManifest.
New-DscResourceManifest	Creates a DSC resource manifests list for bundling multiple resources in a single file.
Update-DscAdaptedResourceManifest	Applies post-processing overrides to adapted resource manifest objects.

See Command Reference for syntax and usage details.

Authoring workflow

The typical workflow is:

1. Write or update a PowerShell class-based DSC resource.
2. Add comment-based help above each [DscResource()] class.
3. Generate adapted resource manifests with New-DscAdaptedResourceManifest.
4. Apply schema refinements with Update-DscAdaptedResourceManifest when needed.
5. Bundle manifests with New-DscResourceManifest.
6. Save the output as .dsc.adaptedResource.json or .dsc.manifests.json.

Start with Getting Started, then review Examples and the Command Reference.