Re: OT URL characters

[Ben Scott]

On Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 1:04 AM, Lenny Bensman wrote:
> While you often do see + as a substitute for space in URLs, note that it is
> for display purposes only.

  Incorrect.  In addition to Ken Schaefer's very nice packet capture,
I can quote chapter and verse.  RFC-1866, "Hypertext Markup Language",
Section 8.2.1, "The form-urlencoded Media Type".

"... space characters are replaced by `+', and then reserved
characters are escaped as per [URL]...".

http://www.apps.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1866.html#sec-8.2.1

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

RE: OT URL characters

[Ken Schaefer]

Hi,

Wireshark begs to differ. See screenshot: 
www.adopenstatic.com/temp/wireshark1.jpg<http://www.adopenstatic.com/temp/wireshark1.jpg>

+ in querystrings are perfectly valid. In the URL stem %20 is for a space and 
%2B for a + sign. That is because they are reserved in the stem and need to be 
escaped. In the querystring, + has no special meaning, and there is no need to 
encode it. And certainly not encode it with a %20, which has a different 
meaning to a +

Cheers
Ken


From: Lenny Bensman [lenny.bens...@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, 13 June 2009 3:04 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Re: OT URL characters

Jumping in late on the thread, but I thought it would be beneficial to offer a 
correction.

While you often do see + as a substitute for space in URLs, note that it is for 
display purposes only.  Plus sign never "hits the wire" for purposes of space 
escaping.  So even though the browser may be displaying 
http://www.google.com/search?q=url+encoding for the link, what actually hits 
the wire is:

GET /search?q=url%20encoding HTTP/1.1
...

Lenny

On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 10:18 AM, Ben Scott 
mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com>> wrote:
On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 8:59 AM, Kennedy, Jim
mailto:kennedy...@elyriaschools.org>> wrote:
> Spaces are not allowed in website URL’s and will blow up often.  Correct?

 A literal, unencoded space is not allowed in URLs, period.  Spaces
are used to delimit fields in the HTTP protocol.

 For most software (browsers, etc.), If you enter a space in
something that's going to be a URL, it will be encoded as either a
plus sign (+) or the "%20" sequence others have mentioned.

 You can see the plus sign in action with many form submissions, e.g.:

   http://www.google.com/search?q=url+encoding

 The %20 comes about because an ASCII space has hexadecimal value
0x20.  Any non-printable and/or non-ASCII byte in a URL will be
encoded that way.

 So you can reference files and such with spaces in them in a URL,
and it may even be displayed nicely, depending on the software you are
using.  However, the URL itself will use the encoded form.  Since this
tends to confuse humans, it's strongly recommended that you avoid
spaces in anything that will be referenced by URL.

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~







~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: OT URL characters

[Lenny Bensman]

Jumping in late on the thread, but I thought it would be beneficial to offer
a correction.

While you often do see + as a substitute for space in URLs, note that it is
for display purposes only.  Plus sign never "hits the wire" for purposes of
space escaping.  So even though the browser may be displaying
http://www.google.com/search?q=url+encoding for the link, what actually hits
the wire is:

GET /search?q=url%20encoding HTTP/1.1
...

Lenny

On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 10:18 AM, Ben Scott  wrote:

> On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 8:59 AM, Kennedy, Jim
>  wrote:
> > Spaces are not allowed in website URL’s and will blow up often.  Correct?
>
>   A literal, unencoded space is not allowed in URLs, period.  Spaces
> are used to delimit fields in the HTTP protocol.
>
>  For most software (browsers, etc.), If you enter a space in
> something that's going to be a URL, it will be encoded as either a
> plus sign (+) or the "%20" sequence others have mentioned.
>
>  You can see the plus sign in action with many form submissions, e.g.:
>
>http://www.google.com/search?q=url+encoding
>
>  The %20 comes about because an ASCII space has hexadecimal value
> 0x20.  Any non-printable and/or non-ASCII byte in a URL will be
> encoded that way.
>
>  So you can reference files and such with spaces in them in a URL,
> and it may even be displayed nicely, depending on the software you are
> using.  However, the URL itself will use the encoded form.  Since this
> tends to confuse humans, it's strongly recommended that you avoid
> spaces in anything that will be referenced by URL.
>
> -- Ben
>
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~   ~
>
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

Re: OT URL characters

[Ben Scott]

On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 10:31 AM, Micheal Espinola Jr
 wrote:
> My point is that the tech specs invalidate any political argument.

  Oh, if only...  :-)

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

Re: OT URL characters

[Micheal Espinola Jr]

Yea, I get that.  My point is that the tech specs invalidate
any political argument. It shouldn't be a pita for the OP.
URL encoding is best to be avoided. If anything, an underscore would be a
more advisable replacement for a space.

--
ME2


On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 10:13 AM, Gary Whitten
wrote:

>  Pretty sure he was referring to the reason he had to ask, not the
> technical specs.
>
>  --
> *From:* Micheal Espinola Jr [mailto:michealespin...@gmail.com]
> *Sent:* Monday, June 01, 2009 9:53 AM
> *To:* NT System Admin Issues
> *Subject:* Re: OT URL characters
>
> Many characters are invalid on teh Internets depending on which protocol
> you are using.  There's nothing political about it.  Invalid is invalid.
>
> --
> ME2
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 9:06 AM, Kennedy, Jim  > wrote:
>
>>  Thanks gang. Just wanted to double check my facts, amazingly this simple
>> space in a url is going to be a political pain in my butt.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Gary Whitten [mailto:li...@undiscoveredworlds.com]
>> *Sent:* Monday, June 01, 2009 9:06 AM
>> *To:* NT System Admin Issues
>> *Subject:* RE: OT URL characters
>>
>>
>>
>> They are replaceable by different character codes.   Spaces are
>> replaceable by %20 for example.
>>
>>
>>
>> See:   http://www.blooberry.com/indexdot/html/topics/urlencoding.htm (among
>> others)
>>
>>
>>  --
>>
>> *From:* Kennedy, Jim [mailto:kennedy...@elyriaschools.org]
>> *Sent:* Monday, June 01, 2009 9:00 AM
>> *To:* NT System Admin Issues
>> *Subject:* OT URL characters
>>
>> Spaces are not allowed in website URL’s and will blow up often.  Correct?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> No virus found in this incoming message.
>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>> Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.45/2141 - Release Date: 06/01/09
>> 06:09:00
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>  No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.45/2141 - Release Date: 06/01/09
> 06:09:00
>
>
>
>
>
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: OT URL characters

[Ben Scott]

On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 8:59 AM, Kennedy, Jim
 wrote:
> Spaces are not allowed in website URL’s and will blow up often.  Correct?

  A literal, unencoded space is not allowed in URLs, period.  Spaces
are used to delimit fields in the HTTP protocol.

  For most software (browsers, etc.), If you enter a space in
something that's going to be a URL, it will be encoded as either a
plus sign (+) or the "%20" sequence others have mentioned.

  You can see the plus sign in action with many form submissions, e.g.:

http://www.google.com/search?q=url+encoding

  The %20 comes about because an ASCII space has hexadecimal value
0x20.  Any non-printable and/or non-ASCII byte in a URL will be
encoded that way.

  So you can reference files and such with spaces in them in a URL,
and it may even be displayed nicely, depending on the software you are
using.  However, the URL itself will use the encoded form.  Since this
tends to confuse humans, it's strongly recommended that you avoid
spaces in anything that will be referenced by URL.

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

RE: OT URL characters

[Gary Whitten]

Pretty sure he was referring to the reason he had to ask, not the technical
specs.

  _  

From: Micheal Espinola Jr [mailto:michealespin...@gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 9:53 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Re: OT URL characters


Many characters are invalid on teh Internets depending on which protocol you
are using.  There's nothing political about it.  Invalid is invalid.

--
ME2



On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 9:06 AM, Kennedy, Jim 
wrote:


Thanks gang. Just wanted to double check my facts, amazingly this simple
space in a url is going to be a political pain in my butt.

 

 

 

From: Gary Whitten [mailto:li...@undiscoveredworlds.com] 
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 9:06 AM 


To: NT System Admin Issues

Subject: RE: OT URL characters 



 

They are replaceable by different character codes.   Spaces are replaceable
by %20 for example.

 

See:   http://www.blooberry.com/indexdot/html/topics/urlencoding.htm (among
others)

 

  _  

From: Kennedy, Jim [mailto:kennedy...@elyriaschools.org] 
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 9:00 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: OT URL characters

Spaces are not allowed in website URL's and will blow up often.  Correct?

 

 

 

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.45/2141 - Release Date: 06/01/09
06:09:00

 

 

 



 




 


 

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.45/2141 - Release Date: 06/01/09
06:09:00



~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: OT URL characters

[Micheal Espinola Jr]

Many characters are invalid on teh Internets depending on which protocol you
are using.  There's nothing political about it.  Invalid is invalid.

--
ME2


On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 9:06 AM, Kennedy, Jim
wrote:

>  Thanks gang. Just wanted to double check my facts, amazingly this simple
> space in a url is going to be a political pain in my butt.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Gary Whitten [mailto:li...@undiscoveredworlds.com]
> *Sent:* Monday, June 01, 2009 9:06 AM
> *To:* NT System Admin Issues
> *Subject:* RE: OT URL characters
>
>
>
> They are replaceable by different character codes.   Spaces are replaceable
> by %20 for example.
>
>
>
> See:   http://www.blooberry.com/indexdot/html/topics/urlencoding.htm (among
> others)
>
>
>  --
>
> *From:* Kennedy, Jim [mailto:kennedy...@elyriaschools.org]
> *Sent:* Monday, June 01, 2009 9:00 AM
> *To:* NT System Admin Issues
> *Subject:* OT URL characters
>
> Spaces are not allowed in website URL’s and will blow up often.  Correct?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.45/2141 - Release Date: 06/01/09
> 06:09:00
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

RE: OT URL characters

[Ken Schaefer]

Spaces, and a whole bunch of other reserved characters are not permitted - it 
violates the RFC (spaces are used to delimit things in HTML)

You need to URLEncode reserved values (spaces are replaced by %20). Some 
browsers do this automagically for you (e.g. IE) when you put in a URL that 
contains a reserved character.

Wikipedia has a table of reserved characters:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URL_Encoding

Cheers
Ken


From: Kennedy, Jim [kennedy...@elyriaschools.org]
Sent: Monday, 1 June 2009 10:59 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: OT URL characters

Spaces are not allowed in website URL’s and will blow up often.  Correct?






~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

RE: OT URL characters

[Kennedy, Jim]

Thanks gang. Just wanted to double check my facts, amazingly this simple space 
in a url is going to be a political pain in my butt.



From: Gary Whitten [mailto:li...@undiscoveredworlds.com]
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 9:06 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: RE: OT URL characters

They are replaceable by different character codes.   Spaces are replaceable by 
%20 for example.

See:   http://www.blooberry.com/indexdot/html/topics/urlencoding.htm (among 
others)


From: Kennedy, Jim [mailto:kennedy...@elyriaschools.org]
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 9:00 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: OT URL characters
Spaces are not allowed in website URL's and will blow up often.  Correct?






No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.45/2141 - Release Date: 06/01/09 
06:09:00





~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

RE: OT URL characters

[Gary Whitten]

They are replaceable by different character codes.   Spaces are replaceable
by %20 for example.
 
See:   http://www.blooberry.com/indexdot/html/topics/urlencoding.htm (among
others)

  _  

From: Kennedy, Jim [mailto:kennedy...@elyriaschools.org] 
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 9:00 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: OT URL characters



Spaces are not allowed in website URL's and will blow up often.  Correct?

 

 


 

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.45/2141 - Release Date: 06/01/09
06:09:00



~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

RE: OT URL characters

[Steven M. Caesare]

They are parsed as "%20", so the webserver should never really see a
space.

 

If you have a URL with a space in it, it's "bad".

 

-sc

 

From: Kennedy, Jim [mailto:kennedy...@elyriaschools.org] 
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 9:00 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: OT URL characters

 

Spaces are not allowed in website URL's and will blow up often.
Correct?

 

 

 

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~