How to put together a simple powershell script(or any other tool) to issue an API command (server standard 2016)

Question

I have no programming experience on how to get this done, any help would be greatly appreciated

So there is a command that if I paste into my browser it executes and the job is done. It is a JSON API request that connects to the localhost to an application listening on port 8080, the command (1) is outlined below

http://localhost:8080/jsonrpc?request={"jsonrpc":%20"2.0",%20"id":%201,%20"method":"System.Shutdown"}

When I paste this code as is into a browser it will execute the system shutdown task as expected (provided the program that is listening is running)

Im am having trouble converting this command into a batch file that can be executed using task scheduler or a simple double click. I have tried the command below (2) in a batch file using CMD but it just ignores the quotation marks and I get a parsing error as a result(3).

CMD command (2)

start http://localhost:8080/jsonrpc?request={"jsonrpc":%20"2.0",%20"id":%201,%20"method":"System.Shutdown"}

Resulting error (3)

{"error":{"code":-32700,"message":"Parse error."},"id":null,"jsonrpc":"2.0"}

and the url looks like this (4)

http://localhost:8080/jsonrpc?request={jsonrpc:02.0,0id:01,0method:System.Shutdown}

All the quotation marks above (4) are gone, I suppose API JSON requests (I think they are called that) are sensitive to these sort of issues.

I have tried the command (1) in powershell and it wont have it. Resulting error below (5)

At line:1 char:49 + http://localhost:8080/jsonrpc?request={"jsonrpc":%20"2.0",%20"id":%20 ... + ~~~~~~~~~ Unexpected token ':%20"2.0"' in expression or statement. At line:1 char:58 + http://localhost:8080/jsonrpc?request={"jsonrpc":%20"2.0",%20"id":%20 ... + ~ Missing argument in parameter list. + CategoryInfo : ParserError: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnexpectedToken

All I need is a script that if double clicked or triggered using task scheduler will execute and issue that command (1) to the local host ie paste the command as is into a browser or skip the browser and go directly.

I going to admit im a total noob at this so a simple step by step guide on how to set this up will be of massive help. Im fairly certain though, that this is a straight forward task for a lot of you :) Im really looking forward to your answers.

Answer 1

I see some issues:

1. start needs a dummy pair of double quotes for the title
2. cmd interprets all percent signs as enclosing variables, => double them to escape.
3. double quote the whole url and escape inner ones with a backslash

so try:

start "" "http://localhost:8080/jsonrpc?request={\"jsonrpc\":%%20\"2.0\",%%20\"id\":%%201,%%20\"method\":\"System.Shutdown\"}"