encoding query strings

alternative to base64_encode()

[jamie]

hi,

we often need to send query strings as the value of another parameter. e.g.

/redirect.php?refpage=/mypage.php?mode=view&ID=45678

where we need to capture the full value of refpage and redirect the user to that value (in the case above /mypage.php?mode=view&ID=45678)

however because there is an extra ampersand in it, the value is not stored correctly. one way round it is to use base64_encode() to encode the value of refpage. however this results in a very long string - too long for some email clients, which break it and make it non-clickable.

does anyone know any alternatives for encoding query strings which, say, result in a 32 length string or even shorter?

many thanks!

[coopster]

Have you considered urlencode() [php.net]?

<?php 
$string = 'refpage=/mypage.php?mode=view&ID=45678'; 
print "$string\n"; 
print urlencode($string)."\n"; 
?> 
<a href="/redirect.php?<?php print urlencode($string);?>">Click here</a> 

[jamie]

hi coopster,

that worked fine thanks, i don't know why i thought it wouldn't - guess thought php would interpret the urlencoding as the literal characters?