PHP Pagination Different Symbols in URL

Question

When user searches for A B the URL shows A+B at first page, but at second page it changes with A%20B, or if searches for A&B there is A%26B at first page, but it changes with A&B at second page. What can I do keep same symbols at every next pages?

CODE:

<?php
$total_pages = $query

$targetpage = "search.php";

$limit = 36; //Items per page
$page = $_GET['page'];
if($page) 
    $start = ($page - 1) * $limit;
else
    $start = 0;

    if ($page == 0) $page = 1;
    $prev = $page - 1;
    $next = $page + 1;
    $lastpage = ceil($total_pages/$limit);
    $lpm1 = $lastpage - 1;

    $pagination = "";
    if($lastpage > 1)
    {   
        $pagination .= "<div class=\"pagination\">";
        //previous button
        if ($page > 1) 
            $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=$prev\">prev</a>";
        else
            $pagination.= "<span class=\"disabled\">prev</span>";   

        //pages 
        if ($lastpage < 7 + ($adjacents * 2)) //not enough pages to bother breaking it up
        {   
            for ($counter = 1; $counter <= $lastpage; $counter++)
            {
                if ($counter == $page)
                    $pagination.= "<span class=\"current\">$counter</span>";
                else
                    $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=$counter\">$counter</a>";                    
            }
        }
        elseif($lastpage > 5 + ($adjacents * 2)) //enough pages to hide some
        {
            //close to beginning; only hide later pages
            if($page < 1 + ($adjacents * 2))        
            {
                for ($counter = 1; $counter < 4 + ($adjacents * 2); $counter++)
                {
                    if ($counter == $page)
                        $pagination.= "<span class=\"current\">$counter</span>";
                    else
                        $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=$counter\">$counter</a>";                    
                }
                $pagination.= "...";
                $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=$lpm1\">$lpm1</a>";
                $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=$lastpage\">$lastpage</a>";      
            }
            //in middle; hide some front and some back
            elseif($lastpage - ($adjacents * 2) > $page && $page > ($adjacents * 2))
            {
                $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=1\">1</a>";
                $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=2\">2</a>";
                $pagination.= "...";
                for ($counter = $page - $adjacents; $counter <= $page + $adjacents; $counter++)
                {
                    if ($counter == $page)
                        $pagination.= "<span class=\"current\">$counter</span>";
                    else
                        $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=$counter\">$counter</a>";                    
                }
                $pagination.= "...";
                $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=$lpm1\">$lpm1</a>";
                $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=$lastpage\">$lastpage</a>";      
            }
            //close to end; only hide early pages
            else
            {
                $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=1\">1</a>";
                $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=2\">2</a>";
                $pagination.= "...";
                for ($counter = $lastpage - (2 + ($adjacents * 2)); $counter <= $lastpage; $counter++)
                {
                    if ($counter == $page)
                        $pagination.= "<span class=\"current\">$counter</span>";
                    else
                        $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=$counter\">$counter</a>";                    
                }
            }
        }

        //next button
        if ($page < $counter - 1) 
            $pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=$search&submit=submit&page=$next\">next</a>";
        else
            $pagination.= "<span class=\"disabled\">next</span>";
        $pagination.= "</div>\n";       
    }
    ?>

Answer 1

When constructing your URL's you have to manually encode the query string. When constructing with PHP, use urlencode(), when constructing URL's with JS use encodeURIComponent()

PHP Example

$pagination.= "<a href=\"$targetpage?search=".urlencode($search)."&submit=submit&page=1\">1</a>";

JS Example

var pagination += "<a href=\"$targetpage?search="+encodeURIComponent(search)+"&submit=submit&page=1\">1</a>";