How can I create an app and add a shortcut to the desktop?

Question

I want to create an app that an author can access from the Desktop. How can I make one and insert it in there? I don't seem to find any documentation on that.

Answer 1

How to create an App

Create app Layout

1. Open core database
2. Go to: /sitecore/layout/Layouts/Applications
3. Create new Layout item (see existing examples, i.e /sitecore/layout/Layouts/Applications/Content Manager)
4. Create layout file on the disk (it should be located here: Website\sitecore\shell\Applications)
5. Link together file on the disk and item in the database either using Path field (if you will use aspx) or Control field with control name (if you use XML layout file).

Note If you use Control mapping remember about proper naming inside XML. For example LicenseOverview application has something like this in the XML

Create app

1. Open core database
2. Go to: /sitecore/content/Applications
3. Create your app folder
4. Create app item
5. Set previously created layout

Desktop shortcut

1. Open desktop and switch to core database (http://domain/sitecore/shell/default.aspx?sc_content=core)
2. Right click on desktop and select Create Shortcut
3. In link find your application (in my case: /sitecore/content/Applications/Alan/AlanTest)

Start button shortcut

If you need your application shortcut to be present here

1. Open core database
2. Go to: /sitecore/content/Documents and settings/All users/Start menu/Right
3. Create your application shortcut and set a link to point on your application.

Bonus: Launchpad shortcut

To add a shortcut to the Launchpad (http://domain/sitecore/shell/sitecore/client/Applications/Launchpad)

1. Open core database
2. Go to: /sitecore/client/Applications/Launchpad/PageSettings/Buttons
3. Create LaunchPad-Button under some LaunchPad-Group

Result: