How do I create a URL shortener?

Question

I want to create a URL shortener service where you can write a long URL into an input field and the service shortens the URL to \"http://www.example.org/abcdef\

Answer 1

alphabet = map(chr, range(97,123)+range(65,91)) + map(str,range(0,10))

def lookup(k, a=alphabet):
    if type(k) == int:
        return a[k]
    elif type(k) == str:
        return a.index(k)


def encode(i, a=alphabet):
    '''Takes an integer and returns it in the given base with mappings for upper/lower case letters and numbers 0-9.'''
    try:
        i = int(i)
    except Exception:
        raise TypeError("Input must be an integer.")

    def incode(i=i, p=1, a=a):
        # Here to protect p.                                                                                                                                                                                                                
        if i <= 61:
            return lookup(i)

        else:
            pval = pow(62,p)
            nval = i/pval
            remainder = i % pval
            if nval <= 61:
                return lookup(nval) + incode(i % pval)
            else:
                return incode(i, p+1)

    return incode()



def decode(s, a=alphabet):
    '''Takes a base 62 string in our alphabet and returns it in base10.'''
    try:
        s = str(s)
    except Exception:
        raise TypeError("Input must be a string.")

    return sum([lookup(i) * pow(62,p) for p,i in enumerate(list(reversed(s)))])a

Here's my version for whomever needs it.