HttpQueryStringBuilder Using JavaScript

Introduction

This code may be considered as a utility tool for creating, modifying, accessing HTTP querystrings with GET/POST, very easily using JavaScript from the client side.

Background

Nowadays, when working with raw AJAX, we need to create and manipulate the query strings at the client side using JavaScript and send it to the server. Sometimes, specially when relatively large data are transmitted in querystrings, it may get painful to modify one of the data items once added to the list, and so on.

To help this task, this utility should be very helpful to its users. Also, it is simple to use as it is developed using object oriented JavaScript code.

Using the code

The code contains two segments:

1. The utility routine.
2. The Test method demonstrating how to make use of the utility routine.

// The class for Creating HTTPQueryString
function HttpQueryStringBuilder()
{
    //Holds the Url
    this.Url = '';    
    //Holds the Array of Key Value Pairs
    this.Pairs = new Array();    
    //The method for getting the final query string
    HttpQueryStringBuilder.prototype.GetFullString = function()
    {
        var queryString = (this.Url.length > 0) ? this.Url + "?" : '';
        for(var key in this.Pairs)
        {
            queryString += escape(key) + "=" + escape(this.Pairs[key]) + "&";
        }
        return queryString.substring(0, queryString.length - 1);
    }
}

////////////////////////////////////////
//
// The Test() Method is added for demonstration purpose only
// Delete this method when you are done with testing
//
////////////////////////////////////////
function Test()
{
    //Define the Object
    var builder = new HttpQueryStringBuilder();
    
    //Supply values
    builder.Url = "http://www.google.com"
    //Pairs[Key] = value (Dont worry about url encoding, it will be handled automatically)
    builder.Pairs["FirstName"] = "S M";
    builder.Pairs["LastName"] = "Sohan";
    builder.Pairs["EMail"] = "sohan39@gmail.com";
    
    //Done with insertions! show it! 
    alert(builder.GetFullString());    
    
    //Make some changes
    builder.Pairs["FirstName"] = "Sheikh Mohammad";
    builder.Pairs["EMail"] = "sohan39@yahoo.com";
    
    //Done with modifications! show it again! 
    alert(builder.GetFullString());    
}

To use the supplied test code, you need a markup like this in one of your pages:

<script type="text/javascript" src="HttpQueryStringBuilder.js"></script>
<input type="button" value="Button" onClick="Test()" />

History

• June 30, 2007: Edited for the first time, and submitted as unedited post to CodeProject.

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)