Generated params with no value in Liferay friendly URL

Question

I'm using friendly url's in Liferay 6.1

This is in friendly-url-routes.xml

<routes>
    <route>
        <pattern>/{instanceId}</pattern>
        <generated-parameter name="search">{search}</generated-parameter>
        <generated-parameter name="sort">{sort}</generated-parameter>
    </route>
</routes>

When the param "search" is null or an empty string the routing is completely ignored and the full url is shown instead of the friendly url. When it has a value the url is in the friendly format.

Is there anything I can do to make the url be in the friendly format even if a parameter has no value? Is there a way to hide the parameter even if its value is empty but still in the url?

Answer 1

I have found the answer. If the tag <generated-parameter> is used then that parameter will have to have a value in the url. If there isn't then the original url is shown instead of the friendly format.

The tag I needed was the <ignored-parameter>. What this does is it simply doesn't include the parameter in the friendly url whether or not it has a value.

I was initially confused by the name of this tag and I thought the value of the parameter will be ignored but the url is still working as it should and the parameters are persisted between pages but not shown.