For scripting where KiXtart does not support the features I need, or where it needs to be platform neutral I use ported *nix tools (Bash, awk, X and so-on) provided by Cygwin (the X server is excellent) where the script is going to run on my machine.

If I'm scripting for a more general deployment I try and use PHP - I loathe PERL, and PHP is a more useful skill for me to keep sharp on with it's integration into Apache. It also fits my coding style better and has very good cross platform support.