sub get_params() {
  #*
  # to get the URL parameters, and package
  # them into a handy little scalar fit
  #*
  #@_; # (no parameters)
  my $cgi = CGI->new();
  my $query = map { $_ . '=' . sanitize($cgi->param{$_}) } map { sanitize($_) } $cgi->param();

  return $query; # a scalar of all URL parameters, each value separated by an &
  #usage: my $url_params = get_params();
}