Url Encoding

Lu[ifer

how should a space be encoded in url encoding?
sometimes is seems like it should be a '+', such as when posting data to cgi.
just type in this google query, "two words", and look at the url.

however, sometimes it seems it should be a %20, as in web addresses that have spaces in them.

in c#, HttpUtility.UrlEncode(string) converts spaces to +'s.
this is fine in most cases but in one particular case i would like it to convert to %20.

is there another method for this? apparently javascript's urlencode works like this.
anyway, if not, i suppose i could use one of these reqular expression things to substitute + with %20.

somebody want to save me the trouble of learning the most cryptic language since hieroglyphics and post the regex (using c# if possible)?

cheers.

str8_away

It should be %20.
"+" in google means - search for word1 plus word2

% means the following 2 charactors are Hex number
20 Hex number for Space on ASCII table

example:
%21 = !
%30 = 0
%41 = A
%61 = a


You can try by replace all letters in google search URL to %xx and you will get the same search result.


Sorry don't know anything about C# so can't help you there:(

Lu[ifer

i don't think its that simple.

check out http://www.simplelogic.com/Developer/InetEncode.asp

url encoding seems to encode spaces as +'s.

only when the space is part of an actual url address, is the %20 notation used.

i'm still not 100% pure as to if, when, where, why and how, but as i already said, i don't think its that simple.

str8_away

From your link

URL PATH: The path to your web page

URL: This should be called URL parameter. Parameter you passed in for your page. It depend on your code you can use %20 or +. but search engins use "+" to replace space.

Just make a simple page and you will see how it works

seamus

A url embedded within a web page (i.e. in an <a> tag) should use the normal identifiers for special characters. That is, if there are spaces and ampersands in the url, there should be &nbsp; and &amp;, respectively.

Lu[ifer

well after having done some research into this, i found out the following...

php, provides two functions, urlencode() and rawurlencode()
the former encodes space as + and the latter as %20

javascript provides escape() and encodeURI()
both encode space as %20.

perl provides uri_escape() which takes a second optional argument which allows you specify which characters are to be consisdered unsafe.

anyway, in c# there is only the UrlEnocde() function which only encodes space to + which was not working for me so after learning all about regular expressions and the RegEx class, i came up with the following...

[php]
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;

string str = "some spaces and <>£$^& crazy charaters";

string enc = Regex.Replace(message, "([^A-Za-z0-9])", new MatchEvaluator(UrlEncode));


static string UrlEncode(Match m)
{
return String.Format("%{0:x2}", (int)m.Value[0]);
}

[/php]