"link_to" helper: Looking for no encoding in URLs

rubyonrails-talk
1

Hi you all,

I have a RESTful app where my link_to is something like <%= link_to("Trial",sdrs_query_path(params[:id] + " = " + my_transf(@value))) %>

When click on the link, the URL that appears is: http://localhost:3007/sdrs/queries/vlan_interfaz%3DTrial

Is there anyway to avoid this? I want the equal sign as it is in the URL. Besides, the behaviour is strange. Even though the resulting URL is this: http://localhost:3007/sdrs/queries/vlan_interfaz%3DTrial

if I change it manually into the browser to this one: http://localhost:3007/sdrs/queries/vlan_interfaz=Trial

it works the same. I mean, it's great Rails encode URLs automatically, but if there is no need (as in this case)...

PT 1: the "manual" URL "queries/vlan_interfaz=Trial" works even thoug with query params such as "queries/vlan_interfaz=Trial?page=3". This is the reason why I say here there is no need in encoding.

PT 2: With a simple <a href=...> it does not happen. I would use this way but my_transf(@value), a method that encodes "@value", returns the value as it is too, not encoded... :S

Thanks.

2

Hi,

your solution returns /query/value

However, I want /query/key=value

The "to_sym" behaves the same :frowning:

Thorsten Mueller wrote:

3

maybe your routing is different... i used this with restful routing on an index action, that does not expect any additional params so:

<% test = {:id => "foo"}%> <%= link_to('Test', played_tracks_path(test[:id] => "bar")) %> returned the correct result with /played_tracks?foo=bar

but for the show action or any not restful routing it would fail that way

if you have an index action, maybe: sdrs_queries_path(...) would work

4

Um...your problem is different

I want to do something like query/:id where :id may be "key=value" You see? The entire url is a path URL, not a query URL.

5

ok, i'm not sure, this is what you want (maybe you should post some more info about your routing etc)

routes.rb: map.resources :play_entries

view: <% test = {:id => "foo"}%> <% value = "bar"}%> <%= link_to('Test', play_entry_path(test[:id] + "=" + value)) %>

generates: <a href="/play_entries/foo=bar">

which would call the show action in my case...

6

I was doing that, but the result of link_to was:

<a href="play_entries/foo%3Dbar"></a>

Thorsten Mueller wrote:

7

Damaris Fuentes wrote:

I was doing that, but the result of link_to was:

<a href="play_entries/foo%3Dbar"></a>

it worked in my case. did you copy my example?

maybe it has to do with the routing and the kind of action. eg my example worked on the index action, which does not need an id parameter. your sdrs_query_path (singular path) should call the show action and therefore expect the id as first parameter. in this case it may handle things different.

or there are differences in the rails versions? i simply can't reproduce it in the way it works for you...

8

PT 1: the "manual" URL "queries/vlan_interfaz=Trial" works even thoug with query params such as "queries/vlan_interfaz=Trial?page=3". This
is the reason why I say here there is no need in encoding.

= is a reserved character in paths according to http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2396.txt   3.3 which probably means you shouldn't use it like that. 'It works' isn't
usually a good test for these sort of things. You may be relying upon
quirks of one particular web browser, server etc...

Fred

9

Hi all, yes, you're right, and I can try with another character. The thing is that, for example, the character "|" is not a reserved character in paths (I think), but Rails also encodes it.

Apart from that, there are a lot of apps that use these kind of characters. See google, when you search for an image: http://images.google.es/imgres?imgurl=http://www.lightworker.com/album/indexthumbs/alien_hello.gif&imgrefurl=http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm%3Ffuseaction%3Duser.viewprofile%26friendid%3D76552036&h=300&w=300&sz=50&hl=es&start=3&um=1&tbnid=YRZ9kSX973HXCM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3DHello%26um%3D1%26hl%3Des%26sa%3DN

after the http://images.google… there is a "imgurl=http://…" I mean, here they also use the character "/", and it is not encoded.

10

My Rails version is 1.2.5. I can reproduce your example programming an "<a href=..." directly, but not with link_to. Link_to always encode my characters.

Thorsten Mueller wrote:

11

In fact I am not 100% sure it is technically a reserved character there. Let me explain.

The RFC says you first need to split the URL apart, and then interpret reserved characters _depending on the part of the URL you are dealing with_. My interpretation as far as "=" is concerned is that first you would split the URL by "?" and then interpret "=" in the query string. Since AFAIK there's no special meaning for "=" to the left of the question mark I think technically it is not required to be escaped.

12

Yes, I thought I wouldn't have problems cause I am not using the "?", so the "=" sign was not involved in any query variable :frowning: But well...

Xavier Noria wrote: