Preventing HTML resolves of variables

[cl8855]

Here's the issue. I have a web page storing fields into a database. Someone puts in something like server_name is "server%abc" as a field. I have several functions they can do on that field (like update) that passes them to "update_page.cfm?#server_name#"

Now when the #server_name# variable is resolved it is also resolving "%ab" in the middle of the variable name into some ascii character C or somethign like that.


So the general question is when I pass someone a link with a variable in it, how can I prevent the % sign from resolving? Or is there a way to escape it or what?

Same thing goes for all special characters probably, but especially the percent sign.

thanks.

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

Use the javascript "escape" function to encode the string before submitting it, and the equivalent "unescape" function the other end.

Hope this helps,
Dan

 

[tviman]

It's not HTML that's misinterpreting your input values. If you're using something like <input type="text" name="server_name"> for your input fields then whatever your users type in those fields will get passed "AS-IS". But, when passing that value as part of a link, HTML will try to interpret anything following the "%" sign as an HTML special character.

I'm not certain you can resolve this in HTML. You may have to resort to something like Javascript and try to "escape" the "%" value.

There's always a better way. The fun is trying to find it!

 

[tviman]

Beat me to the punch, Dan, good show!

There's always a better way. The fun is trying to find it!

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

Well... It's ad break time in the Frank Skinner show... my fingers were getting withdrawal symptoms ;o)

 

[cl8855]

OK I got the answer.

Turns out there is a function in coldfusion - URLEncodedFormat() which does exactly what I need, basically escapes any chars in the text automatically.

thanks