I need to URL decode a string in a VBScript. The string may contain Unicode characters which are encoded as multiple bytes as per UTF-8. So for example "Paris%20%E2%86%92%20Z%C3%BCrich" would decode to "Paris → Zürich".
To do the job, I'm using a piece of code that looks like this:
Function URLDecode(str)
set list = CreateObject("System.Collections.ArrayList")
strLen = Len(str)
for i = 1 to strLen
sT = mid(str, i, 1)
if sT = "%" then
if i + 2 <= strLen then
list.Add cbyte("&H" & mid(str, i + 1, 2))
i = i + 2
end if
else
list.Add asc(sT)
end if
next
depth = 0
for each by in list.ToArray()
if by and &h80 then
if (by and &h40) = 0 then
if depth = 0 then Err.Raise 5
val = val * 2 ^ 6 + (by and &h3f)
depth = depth - 1
if depth = 0 then
sR = sR & chrw(val)
val = 0
end if
elseif (by and &h20) = 0 then
if depth > 0 then Err.Raise 5
val = by and &h1f
depth = 1
elseif (by and &h10) = 0 then
if depth > 0 then Err.Raise 5
val = by and &h0f
depth = 2
else
Err.Raise 5
end if
else
if depth > 0 then Err.Raise 5
sR = sR & chrw(by)
end if
next
if depth > 0 then Err.Raise 5
URLDecode = sR
End Function
This seems to be working well, but it looks exaggeratedly complex to me. In times of HTML5 and web standards, there must be a simpler way to get this done without a bunch of hand-made loops and conditions. Any suggestions?
I want to show three methods for three vary environments. All of these methods requires JScript's encodeURIComponent
and decodeURIComponent
functions.
1. In ASP, using server-side JavaScript is one of most appropriate solutions :
<script language="javascript" runat="server">
URL = {
encode : function(s){return encodeURIComponent(s).replace(/'/g,"%27").replace(/"/g,"%22")},
decode : function(s){return decodeURIComponent(s.replace(/\+/g, " "))}
}
</script>
<%
Response.Write URL.decode("Paris%20%E2%86%92%20Z%C3%BCrich")
Response.Write URL.encode("Paris → Zürich")
%>
2. 32-Bit only (due to MSScriptControl.ScriptControl is 32-bit only component) in any other WSH :
Dim JSEngine
Set JSEngine = CreateObject("MSScriptControl.ScriptControl")
JSEngine.Language = "JScript"
Function UrlEncode(s)
UrlEncode = JSEngine.CodeObject.encodeURIComponent(s)
UrlEncode = Replace(UrlEncode, "'", "%27")
UrlEncode = Replace(UrlEncode, """", "%22")
End Function
Function UrlDecode(s)
UrlDecode = Replace(s, "+", " ")
UrlDecode = JSEngine.CodeObject.decodeURIComponent(UrlDecode)
End Function
WScript.Echo UrlDecode("Paris%20%E2%86%92%20Z%C3%BCrich")
WScript.Echo UrlEncode("Paris → Zürich")
3. With 64-bit support in any other WSH using a WSC:
urlencdec.wsc (created by using WSC Wizard)
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<component>
<?component error="true" debug="true"?>
<registration
description="Url Encode / Decode Helper"
progid="JSEngine.Url"
version="1.0"
classid="{80246bcc-45d4-4e92-95dc-4fd9a93d8529}"
/>
<public>
<method name="encode">
<PARAMETER name="s"/>
</method>
<method name="decode">
<PARAMETER name="s"/>
</method>
</public>
<script language="JScript">
<![CDATA[
var description = new UrlEncodeDecodeHelper;
function UrlEncodeDecodeHelper() {
this.encode = encode;
this.decode = decode;
}
function encode(s) {
return encodeURIComponent(s).replace(/'/g,"%27").replace(/"/g,"%22");
}
function decode(s) {
return decodeURIComponent(s.replace(/\+/g, " "));
}
]]>
</script>
</component>
and vbs code :
Dim JSEngine
Set JSEngine = GetObject("Script:C:\urlencdec.wsc")
WScript.Echo JSEngine.decode("Paris%20%E2%86%92%20Z%C3%BCrich")
WScript.Echo JSEngine.encode("Paris → Zürich")
Pure vbs classic asp of URLDecode function, with utf-8 support.
<%
Function RegExTest(str,patrn)
Dim regEx
Set regEx = New RegExp
regEx.IgnoreCase = True
regEx.Pattern = patrn
RegExTest = regEx.Test(str)
End Function
Function URLDecode(sStr)
Dim str,code,a0
str=""
code=sStr
code=Replace(code,"+"," ")
While len(code)>0
If InStr(code,"%")>0 Then
str = str & Mid(code,1,InStr(code,"%")-1)
code = Mid(code,InStr(code,"%"))
a0 = UCase(Mid(code,2,1))
If a0="U" And RegExTest(code,"^%u[0-9A-F]{4}") Then
str = str & ChrW((Int("&H" & Mid(code,3,4))))
code = Mid(code,7)
ElseIf a0="E" And RegExTest(code,"^(%[0-9A-F]{2}){3}") Then
str = str & ChrW((Int("&H" & Mid(code,2,2)) And 15) * 4096 + (Int("&H" & Mid(code,5,2)) And 63) * 64 + (Int("&H" & Mid(code,8,2)) And 63))
code = Mid(code,10)
ElseIf a0>="C" And a0<="D" And RegExTest(code,"^(%[0-9A-F]{2}){2}") Then
str = str & ChrW((Int("&H" & Mid(code,2,2)) And 3) * 64 + (Int("&H" & Mid(code,5,2)) And 63))
code = Mid(code,7)
ElseIf (a0<="B" Or a0="F") And RegExTest(code,"^%[0-9A-F]{2}") Then
str = str & Chr(Int("&H" & Mid(code,2,2)))
code = Mid(code,4)
Else
str = str & "%"
code = Mid(code,2)
End If
Else
str = str & code
code = ""
End If
Wend
URLDecode = str
End Function
Response.Write URLDecode("Paris%20%E2%86%92%20Z%C3%BCrich") 'Paris → Zürich
%>
The best way of encoding a URL using VBS is to use encodeURIComponent() javascript function!! The ScriptControl component allows you to run js code from a VBS environment.
Here's my URLEncode function, which works exactly the same as the js function (in fact, it calls it!!):
Function URLEncode(str)
Dim encodedUrl
Set sc = CreateObject("MSScriptControl.ScriptControl")
sc.Language = "JScript"
sc.AddCode "var s = """ & str & """;"
sc.AddCode "function myEncode(s){return encodeURIComponent(s);}"
encodedUrl = sc.Eval("myEncode(s);")
Set sc = Nothing
URLEncode = encodedUrl
End Function