How to encode URL in JS and Decode in PHP?

Question

Following is my JS code:

window.location.href = 'products.php?price_range=-INFto2000,2001to5000';

My question is how do I encode the URL in javascript & decode it in PHP, such that my browser's navigation bar will show

"products.php?price_range=-INFto2000%2C2001to5000"

instead of

"products.php?price_range=-INFto2000,2001to5000"

and my php code will be able to work with the proper value of -INFto2000,2001to5000 in $_GET['price_range']

Solution 1

Try this in your javascript code

window.location.href = 'products.php?price_range='+encodeURIComponent('-INFto2000,2001to5000');

You can access the decoded value in $_GET['price_range']. $_GET variables are decoded by default in PHP.

Solution 2

You can use encodeURI() This function encodes special characters, except: , / ? : @ & = + $ #

To : , / ? : @ & = + $ # use encodeURIComponent()

Best way to encode all characters is to run both functions

var url = 'products.php?price_range=-INFto2000,2001to5000';
url = encodeURI(url);// Encode special characters
url = encodeURIComponent(url);//Encodes : , / ? : @ & = + $ # characters

By default php automatically decode Encoded URLs so you don't have to do anything. You can simply access URL parameters like this

 $_REQUEST['price_range'];

For some reasons if you have to decode URL Client side you can use decodeURI() & decodeURIComponent()

Comments

[Gromski]

Why should your browser show "products.php%3Fprice_range%3D-INFto2000%2C2001to5000"?!

[Ahmed Syed]

@deceze For security purpose. :-)

[prava]

How come its not working!!! Check this link - w3schools.com/jsref/jsref_decodeuricomponent.asp

[Ahmed Syed]

@satish rajak Though URL is encoded using encodeURIComponent, But PHP is not decoding it, error is Undefined index: price_range

[prava]

@MujahedAKAS, definitely it won't show any error message. Check this URL - tools4noobs.com/online_php_functions/urldecode and add your generated encoded URI into here and check the output.

[Ahmed Syed]

@satish rajak; Okay I did it this way; window.location.href = 'products.php?price_range='+encodeURIComponent('-INFto2000,2‌​001to5000'); and its working, is it right way to do this?

[Saty]

check this link stackoverflow.com/questions/75980/…

[Quentin]

urldecode($_GET['price_range']); is wrong. PHP will decode data from URLs automatically before it puts the values into $_GET

[Ahmed Syed]

Yes @Quentin first I though URL is not encoded, because after encoding, without decoding everything was working fine, I thought changes are not effecting due to cookies or sometjng, But than I realized We dont need to decode it back in PHP.