Prevent Edit URL Screen From Changing URL

How do I prevent the Curlie edit URL screen from replacing spaces in URLs with + characters?

This modification of the URL produces an undesirable result in the linked page.

Is it possible to force the screen to accept the URL as I have entered it?

Can you give an example? Where does the problem occur?

I composed a response, but the forum software won't allow me to post it, just as it wouldn't allow me to post a detailed original message. Can you give me the necessary permissions to correct this?

You are now editor here, but I'm not convinced that this forum will allow you to post a live URL... maybe try the editor forum instead (which does allow urls) ?

Even as an editor, the forum won't allow me to post a URL. So, here is my original response, with URLs redacted:


I was hoping there might be a way of forcing the Curlie edit URL screen to substitute %20 for spaces in URLS when encoding them, instead of using the + character, but apparently this is not possible.


The operator of the website involved in the issue I'm having has indicated they would attempt to fix the problem, but haven't yet.


To reproduce the issue, start at [redacted] and search for any locality in the U.S., in this case, Havre de Grace, Maryland. The resulting page is at [redacted]. On this page, the city name in the search field at the top of the page displays correctly.


If, however, I replace the spaces in the URL with the + character, as the Curlie edit URL screen does, the resulting URL is [redacted]. As you can see, the city name in the search field at the top of the page now displays incorrectly, with + characters replacing each space in the name.


The + character should not appear in the place name displayed in the search field of the page after the URL has been corrected so that it's properly encoded.


I've seen this behavior before on other websites that have URLs encoded using the + character in place of spaces. Note that replacing %2C with a comma in the URL of this website has no effect on the resulting page.


Since composing this original response, I've received a determination from the operator of the website where this issue takes place. The United States Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Flood Map Service Center will not change the way their website works and instead recommends that we update our software to account for our needs.


In conclusion, the ideal solution would be to have an option to force the Curlie edit URL screen to substitute %20 for spaces in URLS when encoding them, instead of using the + character. Is anyone else interested in having this capability?

I see the editing interface converts spaces to %20 and then back to space characters - so this issue applies to the Curlie Search engine only?

This issue is occurring at Regional> North America> United States> West Virginia> Localities> U> Upper Falls for the listing titled United States Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.

From the Editor Main page for the category, when I enter a URL into the Add site field and click the button, I am taken to the Add URL page, where the URL has automagically had the spaces in the URL converted into + characters. This is the source of this issue.

As a result, the live, public directory page features a link using + characters in place of space characters.

If I click the EDIT button for the listing on the Editor Main page, the resulting Update Listing page shows the URL to contain + characters in place of space characters.

Once the unwanted conversion takes place, it's persistent across the entire system.

Of course, the Add site utility makes the same conversion for all submitted URLs that contain space characters, but this website is the only one I've added to this category that misbehaves as a result.

Note that the Curlie documentation calls the Add URL page the edit URL screen, which is the term I initially used for the same thing.

I added the link to your post above
What happens if you try and access our dedicated Bugs and Features forum? It's far better adapted for the discussion of editing issues than here...
Just tried using a different URL (with spaces) and they were converted to %20 ...
But after a ? in the URL the conversion of spaces into + symbols is triggered

I tried to use that forum after you first suggested it and again just now. I can't login using my Curlie editor account. When I try, I just get dumped back to the login page. I can only login using my personal account. Do I need an invitation? My username there is the same.

Every URL I've ever added that contains spaces also contains a question mark, so I wasn't aware that the Add URL page treats them in a different way from those without a question mark. I wonder why they're treated differently.

No, for the editors forum it's some kind of exotic bug... it's meant to be your editor name (vandalia - in lowercase) and the matching curlie.org password.
To troubleshoot, we need a DETAILED account of steps you take and what you see (including URLs). Also, whether there are any unusual characters in your password.
Thanks for your patience
(you can send by pm)