Escape from html %20

Question

I'm working on something in Python and I need to escape from %20, the space in a URL. For example:

"%20space%20in%20%d--" % ordnum

So I need to use %20 for a URL but then %d for a number. But I get this error:

TypeError: not enough arguments for format string

I know what the problem is I just don't know how to escape from a %20 and fix it.

Answer 1

One way would be to double the % characters:

"%%20space%%20in%%20%d--" % ordnum

but a probably better way is using urllib.quote_plus():

urllib.quote_plus(" space in %d--" % ordnum)

Answer 2

The %20 should look like %%20 when Python's formatter sees it. To Python, %% formats out to %.

Answer 3

>>> import urllib
>>> unquoted = urllib.unquote("%20space%20in%20%d--")
>>> ordnum = 15
>>> print unquoted % ordnum
 space in 15--

Answer 4

I see three ways to solve this:

1. Escape the %.

   "%%%20dogs" % 11
   

2. Use the new .format syntax.

   "{}%20dogs".format(11)
   

3. Use the + sign instead of %20, as I think that's possible as well.

   "%+dogs" % 11