howto read a parameter from the URL (AS IS)

[Peter Primrose]

Hi,

Consider the following URL:
http://localhost:8080/MyApplc/activate.do?value=H+43bVonNVFCDe2lRSzOID==

The idea is this: users receives this link (by email), they click the url and based on the 'value' the method does something.

problem: the value on the URL is H+43bVonNVFCDe2lRSzOID==

  String encrypted = request.getParameter("value");  

but the value of encrypted is H 43bVonNVFCDe2lRSzOID==
* the + sign after the H was removed"

So...how can I read the 'value' as is?

thank you!

[Paul Clapham]

If the parameter value was really supposed to be "H+43b..." and so on, then you should URL-encode that value before appending it to the URL. As it is, the servlet container is assuming that it was URL-encoded (as per the rules for URLs) and is URL-decoding it. This translates + to space, among other things.

[Peter Primrose]

almost...

  String encrypted = URLEncoder.encode(request.getParameter("value"), "UTF-8");  

the link was:

http://localhost:8080/MyApplc/activate.do?value=H+43bVonNVFCDe2lRSzOID==

the encrypted filed is H+43bVonNVFCDe2lRSzOID%3D%3D

'=' becomes 3D%

mmm....

[Rob Spoor]

That value looks more like Base64 encoded, not URL encoded.

[Peter Primrose]

that's correct, I have this line in my code that produces this:

cipherText = new BASE64Encoder().encode(byteCipherText);

how can I get around this?

thanks

[Rob Spoor]

What I would do:

When generating the URL, base64 it first, then URLencode. The + (part of the base64) will be replaced with %2B.
Then when you want to read it again, URLdecode it again (if the server doesn't do that for you), then de-base64 it.