Using the IDC "%z" Parameter

• Microsoft Internet Information Server versions 2.0 and 3.0

SYMPTOMS

When you use the Internet Database Connector (IDC), and you create links or use the return value in arguments passed to other documents, you will be unable to pass arguments that contain spaces.

CAUSE

Spaces are viewed as delimiters and are not passed by default. You can use the “%z” parameter in your .HTX file to parse and convert these escape characters so they can be passed as parameters.

RESOLUTION

Use the following syntax as shown in this HTX sample. The following example will display a table that builds links dynamically from the queried database. In this example it returns 3 columns. The first column contains the argument being passed. The second column contains links that will fail if the value in the first column contains characters such as spaces. The third column contains links using the "%z" and will pass the argument properly.

NOTE: This parameter is case sensitive you must use a lower case "z."

<TABLE BORDER> <TR> <TH><B>Argument</B></TH><TH><B>Broken</B></TH><TH><B>Works</B></TH> </TR> <%begindetail%> <TR> <TD><%Title%></TD> <TD><A HREF=sqr1.idc?Tname=<%Title%>><%Description%></TD> <TD><A HREF=sqr1.idc?Tname=<%"%z",Title%>><%Description%></TD> </TR> <%enddetail%> </TABLE>

MORE INFORMATION

For more information look in Chapter 8 of the Online Documentation for IIS that details the Internet Database Connector (IDC) and covers publishing dynamic data on the Web. Additionally you can view the JobForum an IDC database example application found on the web:

   http://www.microsoft.com/accessdev/accwhite/jobforpa.htm