Unicode URL encode / decode with Python

Question

I have an Android app which uses

URLEncoder.encode(S.getSongArtist(),"UTF-8")

to encode a unicode string that is posted to a AppEngine python (2.7) web service. On the service I use

urllib.unquote_plus(artist)

This is not giving me correct results. I have an input like this:

Marie+Lafor%C3%AAt

which is unquote'd to

Marie LaforÃªt

If I use a javascript url decode, for instance: http://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/dencoder/ I get

Marie Laforêt

A correct result.

I tried using

urllib.unquote(artist).decode('utf-8')

but this generates an exception. Any hints at all are greatly appreciated.

EDIT

Taxellool had the right answer in the comments:

what you are trying to decode is already decoded. try this:

urllib.unquote_plus(artist.encode('utf-8')).decode('utf-8')

what exception do you get in last urllib.unquote(artist).decode('utf-8') ? it seems to work correctly under python2.7.5 — ymonad
– ymonad, Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 6:44
if I use decode at the end i get: UnicodeEncodeError: 'ascii' codec can't encode characters in position 11-12: ordinal not in range(128) — scratchy
– scratchy, Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 10:14
what you are trying to decode is already decoded. try this: urllib.unquote_plus(artist.encode('utf-8')).decode('utf-8') — Taxellool
– Taxellool, Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 10:21
I tried this in a python shell (as Taxellool did) and it works: >>> print urllib.unquote_plus(artist).decode('utf-8') Marie Laforêt On the server this same line of code generates the exception — scratchy
– scratchy, Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 10:26
@Taxellool: it should be urllib.unquote_plus(artist.encode('ascii')).decode('utf-8') — jfs
– jfs, Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 11:13

scratchy · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-20 10:09:48Z

3

Taxellool had the right answer in the comments:

what you are trying to decode is already decoded. try this:

urllib.unquote_plus(artist.encode('utf-8')).decode('utf-8')

answered Mar 20, 2014 at 10:09

scratchy

511 silver badge7 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

Taxellool · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-18 15:37:28Z

1

I guess you are decoding before urllib.unquote():

>>> print urllib.unquote_plus('Marie+Lafor%C3%AAt'.decode('utf-8'))  
Marie LaforÃªt

If you decode after unquote, result would be what you want:

>>> print urllib.unquote_plus('Marie+Lafor%C3%AAt').decode('utf-8')  
Marie Laforêt

Just make sure you don't pass a unicode to urllib.unquote_plus.

edited Mar 18, 2014 at 15:37

answered Mar 18, 2014 at 7:12

Taxellool

4,3624 gold badges24 silver badges39 bronze badges

2 Comments

scratchy Over a year ago

On the server this line of code generates an exception: UnicodeEncodeError: 'ascii' codec can't encode characters in position 11-12: ordinal not in range(128)

jfs Over a year ago

@scratchy: See How to print() a string in Python3?. My answer works on Python 2 too.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Unicode URL encode / decode with Python

2 Answers 2

Comments

2 Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

Comments

2 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related