Why does the javascript function encodeURIComponent encode spaces to the hex unicode value %20 insteady of +. Should uri parameters not spaces to +?
+3
A:
Spaces encode to %20, I believe that's their ASCII character code.
However, developers have taken a shine to encoding spaces to + because it generates URLs that are readable and typeable by human beings.
Jeremiah Peschka
2008-09-19 12:28:45
A:
As a general rule, file paths should have spaces encoded as %20. Query string parameters should have spaces encoded as +.
For example: http://www.example.com/a%20file.ext?name=John+Doe
R. Bemrose
2008-09-19 12:30:33
+2
A:
The + is not recognised as a space in all uses of a URI for example try using this link:-
mailto:bloke@somewhere?subject=Hello+World
The subject line still has the + whereas:-
mailto:bloke@somewhere?subject=Hello%20World
works.
AnthonyWJones
2008-09-19 12:31:14
A:
Using the + sign as a space is for historical reasons. The CGI back then enabled web-servers to use normal command line programs as "web applications". Within the scripting-world of command line programs most interpreters/shell-languages had space separated lists of values like
items = (A beautiful world)
foreach( item in $items ) echo "* $item"
Call such a "list render application" from command line:
render-list A beautiful world
Call the same "list render application" over http and a webserver:
http://testhost/cgi-bin/render-list?A+beautiful+world
For the most use-cases the meaning of the + sign would be kind of an item- or term-separator in the value of an parameter. And that is exacly the area where i recommend using it today.