If you want to include an ampersand in a query string argument, the easiest way is to hex-encode it, the same way spaces are done. Spaces (decimal 32, hex 20) are encoded as %20 in URIs, which I'm sure you've seen at some point (here on Perlmonks if nowhere else). I think ampersand would be %26 if I've done the conversion correctly. Of course, whatever you use to get the query args has to know how to unencode this; if you are using a well-known module, that should not be a problem.

HTH.HAND

update: I neglected to mention that the browser should do this conversion automatically, if you put the thing in the value attribute of a hidden field (or, for that matter, any form field at all (update2: though yes, you'd need to encode the entities in that case (presumably with HTML::Entities))). However, if you're putting it in an href, then you have to (hex) encode it first. Some of the CGI-related modules may provide functions for doing this (update3: such as URI::Escape), but it's also pretty trivial to do by hand, along the lines of this (which, however, I have not extensively tested):

$foo =~ s/(\W)/"%".sprintf "%02x",ord$1/eg;
"In adjectives, with the addition of inflectional endings, a changeable long vowel (Qamets or Tsere) in an open, propretonic syllable will reduce to Vocal Shewa. This type of change occurs when the open, pretonic syllable of the masculine singular adjective becomes propretonic with the addition of inflectional endings."  — Pratico & Van Pelt, BBHG, p68

In reply to Re: Using url_param()s with & by jonadab
in thread Using url_param()s with & by Anonymous Monk

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