Search code examples
windowsurlencodeurl-encodingurldecode

Does Windows have any built-in utility to encode/decode URL?

The certutil utiliiy in Windows can be used to perform Base64 encoding and deocding. Is there any built-in utility for URL encoding and decoding? There are many free tools available on web. But I am specifically looking for Windows built-in utility or if not simple script that can run on Windows.

Thanks!

Solution

  • Base64 VBA

    Base64 encoding and decoding can be done with VBA. You can copy/paste this code and put it in Excel VBA, for example, and then use it's methods to encode and decode Base64.

    URL encode/decode VBA

    How can I URL encode a string in Excel VBA? and Does VBA have any built in URL decoding? is a URL decoder. Using these tools you should be able to encode and decode within Windows environment with MS Office products such as Excel and VBA.

    Base64 PowerShell

    If you use powershell, check this out: http://vstepic.blogspot.com/2013/02/how-to-convert-string-to-base64-and.html. Excerpt from that site:

    PS C:\Temp>$b  = [System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetBytes("Hello World")
PS C:\Temp>[System.Convert]::ToBase64String($b)
SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=

PS C:\Temp>$b  = [System.Convert]::FromBase64String("SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=")
PS C:\Temp>[System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetString($b)
Hello World

    URL encode/decode PowerShell

    For URL encode/decode you could use:

    [Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.Web") | Out-Null
[System.Web.HttpUtility]::UrlEncode("http://test.com/?path=what is")
http%3a%2f%2ftest.com%2f%3fpath%3dwhat+is

[System.Web.HttpUtility]::UrlDecode("http%3a%2f%2ftest.com%2f%3fpath%3dwhat+is")
http://test.com/?path=what is

    Reference: https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Encoding-and-Decoding-URL-99dc4256