How to convert URL parameters to a JavaScript object?

Question

I have a string like this:

abc=foo&def=%5Basf%5D&xyz=5

How can I convert it into a JavaScript object like this?

{
          


        

Answer 1

I needed to also deal with + in the query part of the URL (decodeURIComponent doesn't), so I adapted Wolfgang's code to become:

var search = location.search.substring(1);
search = search?JSON.parse('{"' + search.replace(/\+/g, ' ').replace(/&/g, '","').replace(/=/g,'":"') + '"}',
             function(key, value) { return key===""?value:decodeURIComponent(value)}):{};

In my case, I'm using jQuery to get URL-ready form parameters, then this trick to build an object out of it and I can then easily update parameters on the object and rebuild the query URL, e.g.:

var objForm = JSON.parse('{"' + $myForm.serialize().replace(/\+/g, ' ').replace(/&/g, '","').replace(/=/g,'":"') + '"}',
             function(key, value) { return key===""?value:decodeURIComponent(value)});
objForm.anyParam += stringToAddToTheParam;
var serializedForm = $.param(objForm);