Ever wish you could just link to an install in the AppCatalog?

In System Center Config Manager 2012r2 there isn't a built in way to send someone directly to a specific application (that I have ever seen reference to).

If you search the web, you'll find reference to deep linking, but only really in reference to the Windows 8.x Store (sideloaded apps).

Not the actual Application Catalog hosted internally.

This leads to:

Ever tell someone to go to the Application Catalog and install something?

Ever notice that some people find it hard to get to exactly what you want them to?

So let's just shoot them a direct link!

Go take a read right here:

http://www.nickalmiron.com/?p=30

Here's the code found on that Nickal Miron's Blog

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#Dictionary values for encoding/decoding $codes = @{} $codes.Add('/', '2F00') $codes.Add('_', '5F00') $codes.Add('-', '2D00') $codes.Add('0', '3000') $codes.Add('1', '3100') $codes.Add('2', '3200') $codes.Add('3', '3300') $codes.Add('4', '3400') $codes.Add('5', '3500') $codes.Add('6', '3600') $codes.Add('7', '3700') $codes.Add('8', '3800') $codes.Add('9', '3900') $codes.Add('a', '6100') $codes.Add('b', '6200') $codes.Add('c', '6300') $codes.Add('d', '6400') $codes.Add('e', '6500') $codes.Add('f', '6600') $codes.Add('o', '6F00') $codes.Add('p', '7000') $codes.Add('i', '6900') $codes.Add('l', '6C00') $codes.Add('n', '6E00') $codes.Add('t', '7400') $upperCodes = @{} $upperCodes.Add('A', '4100') $upperCodes.Add('B', '4200') $upperCodes.Add('C', '4300') $upperCodes.Add('D', '4400') $upperCodes.Add('E', '4500') $upperCodes.Add('F', '4600') $upperCodes.Add('I', '4900') $upperCodes.Add('S', '5300') function encode([string]$AppID) {     $encoded = $null     #foreach char in string, get encoded value from dictionary     foreach ($char in [Char[]]$AppID)     {         #if char is uppercase look in uppercase dictionary         if ([char]::IsUpper($char)) { $encoded = $encoded + $upperCodes.Get_Item($char.ToString()) }         else { $encoded = $encoded + $codes.Get_Item($char.ToString()) }     }     return $encoded } function lookUpKey($code) {     $returnVal = $null     #look in lowercase dictionary for code     if ($codes.ContainsValue($code))     {         foreach ($key in ($codes.GetEnumerator() | Where-Object {$_.Value -eq $code}))         {             $returnVal = $key.Name         }     }     #if not there look in uppercase dictionary     elseif ($upperCodes.ContainsValue($code))     {         foreach ($key in ($upperCodes.GetEnumerator() | Where-Object {$_.Value -eq $code}))         {             $returnVal = $key.Name         }     }     return $returnVal } function decode([string]$AppIDSig) {     $i = 0     $Code = $null     $decoded = $null     foreach ($char in [Char[]]$AppIDSig)     {         #if less then 4 characters in code grab next character         if ($i -le 3)         {             #build 4 char codes             $code = $code + $char             $i++         }         #if 4 characters are in code lookup the decoded value         else         {             $decoded = $decoded + (lookUpKey $code)                      #reset code and start building 4 char code again             $code = $char             $i = 1         }     }     #foreach statement does not iterate the last time to get last code, look up value for last code here     $decoded = $decoded + (lookUpKey $code)     return $decoded }

That code is pretty darn awesome.

But the page lacks instructions on what a simple person like I should ACTUALLY do with it.

Step 1 - Go get an AppID!

1. Open SCCM Console, then Software Library, Application Management, Applications. Right click the top header bar of your app's and check off "CI Unique ID".
2. Select the Application you want, hit CTRL-C (don't right click and hit copy, then you're copying the application).
3. Open Notepad, hit CTRL-V.
4. Delete all the stuff before ScopeId_...
5. Delete the trailing /## (This is the revision number of the Application. You cannot refer to a previous version of what you have currently deployed.)

Step 2 - Encode it!

1. Paste that script into Powershell_ISE.
2. I'm lazy, and I just throw at the end of the script "Encode ScopeID.../Application_..."
3. Run the script.
4. You get a massively long number.

Step 3 - I'm done right?

1. Let's pretend this is your ApplicationCatalog link (that you'd click on in SoftwareCenter, or you wisely published to all desktops with a GPO).
• https://Contoso/CMApplicationCatalog/#/SoftwareLibrary/AppListPageView.xaml
2. Cool! BingoBango throw that long number bit on the end and we're done right? Nope.
3. That link shows your Library. We want an item from the Catalog.
4. Adapt your link to look like the below:
• https://Contoso/CMApplicationCatalog/#/SoftwareCatalog/AppDetails/SUPERLONGNUMBERHERE

That's it.

Now tell me how to do it better!

It would be pretty easy to just use PS to pull all the AppID's and spit you out ALL you links nice and neatly titled in a CSV.

Wonder if this ends up in the next iteration of Coretech's Application Approval Tool ( http://blog.coretech.dk/kea/coretech-application-e-mail-approval-tool/) ?