jQuery Snippet #1: URL Parameter Fetching

Monday, November 30th, 2009

I’ve decided to provide you with a new data stream. The jQuery Snippet of the Week. Enjoy.

// Read a page's GET URL variables and return them as an associative array.
function getUrlVars()
{
    var vars = [], hash;
    var hashes = window.location.href.slice(window.location.href.indexOf('?') + 1).split('&');
    for(var i = 0; i < hashes.length; i++)
    {
        hash = hashes[i].split('=');
        vars.push(hash[0]);
        vars[hash[0]] = hash[1];
    }
    return vars;
}

When executed, this function will return a beautiful string-indexed array of your hacking pleasures.

Thanks, Roshambo and jQuery HowTo!

7 FEEDBACKS

LionelMartin says:

November 30, 2009 at 10:22 am

A shame it isn't included in jQuery's core by default (as it is in prototype.js for example)

Malthe says:

November 30, 2009 at 11:04 am

1) How is this related to jQuery? The irony is that jQuery allows you to spell it much cleaner than you have.

2)How is the argument name a “hash”?

3) How would you handle multiple arguments with the same name?

This seems like a one-off hack that has little generality and poor execution.