Copy Link Location adds %20 where spaces should be in JAVASCRIPT links (messes up the js function when pasting somewhere else)

[JasonSpradlin82]

Binary package hint: firefox-3.0

on this page:
http://www.streamingfaith.com/directory/network.aspx?nsn=ABLFC

there is a link that reads "Click here to view now!"

The HREF is javascript:OpenPopup('/faithpass/index.aspx?nsn=ABLFC', _sWindowName, _iWidth, _iHeight, _sScrollYesNo, _sResizableYesNo);

When you right click the text link, however, and select Copy Link Location, Firefox (3.0+ only) converts the spaces between the JS variables into %20. This is fine for standard HTTP:// links, but it breaks the javascript link when I try to paste it elsewhere. It looks like this:

javascript:OpenPopup('/faithpass/index.aspx?nsn=ABLFC',%20_sWindowName,%20_iWidth,%20_iHeight,%20_sScrollYesNo,%20_sResizableYesNo);

Every time I copy a link this way, i have to paste it into a text editor and then replace all "%20" with a space. Then i have to recopy that if I want to paste the link somewhere else.

This did NOT happen in Firefox 2.x browsers. This is something I use DAILY at work (I work for Streaming Faith) and it really makes things difficult, because when (not if) I forget to remove the %20s, the javascript function doesn't run.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

isnt this the opposite of the bug claimed in: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=440075 ?

[JasonSpradlin82 (jaspradlin)]

Kind of, but no.

That bug references a direct copy (using ctrl-c or "copy" on the context
menu) of text located in the address bar... In that case, the code that
moves the selected text to the clipboard and accidentally translates
the %20 into a space.

In THIS bug, it only occurs when RIGHT CLICKING a link and selecting
copy link location. This time, it does do the opposite, but it makes
sense to have it do this for the following reasons:

if I coded a page with <a href="www.google.com/fun times"> (made up
link) then the browser needs to know to use URL encoding because the
REAL address WILL actually be ..."fun%20times"

However, when using <a href="javascript:whatever(something, something
else)"> we are not referencing a URL at all... We are calling a
javascript command defined somewhere on the page or in an included
file. Firefox should NEVER presume to URL encode a link containing a
javascript command, because URL encoding should only apply to URLs.

Jason Spradlin
Atlanta, GA

Alexander Sack wrote:

> isnt this the opposite of the bug claimed in:
> https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=440075 ?
>
> ** Changed in: firefox-3.0 (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
>

[JasonSpradlin82 (jaspradlin)]

Kind of, but no.

That bug references a direct copy (using ctrl-c or "copy" on the context menu) of text located in the address bar... In that case, the code that moves the selected text to the clipboard and accidentally translates the %20 into a space.

In THIS bug, it only occurs when RIGHT CLICKING a link and selecting copy link location. This time, it does do the opposite, but it makes sense to have it do this for the following reasons:

if I coded a page with <a href="www.google.com/fun times"> (made up link) then the browser needs to know to use URL encoding because the REAL address WILL actually be ..."fun%20times"

However, when using <a href="javascript:whatever(something, something else)"> we are not referencing a URL at all... We are calling a javascript command defined somewhere on the page or in an included file. Firefox should NEVER presume to URL encode a link containing a javascript command, because URL encoding should only apply to URLs.

Jason Spradlin
Atlanta, GA

(P.S. does replying to a bug email add a comment to this bug, or not?)

[JasonSpradlin82 (jaspradlin)]

I can see that the change in FF3 was made as a FEATURE... so that right clicking a link that contains a URL with a space would be properly encoding when pasting the link elsewhere (like the "fun%20times" example).

However, I don't the developer who coded this feature considered how it would affect other HREF values such as javascript commands.