Proper URL forming with a query string and an anchor hashtag

The Ultimate Guide to Proper URL Formation 🌐✨

Have you ever wondered about the proper order for the appearance of a query string and an anchor hashtag in a URL? 🤔🔗

Let's start by breaking down the typical URL structure:

http://www.whatever.com?var=val#anchor

And the alternate URL structure:

http://www.whatever.com#anchor?var=val

The question is: which one is correct? 🤷‍♀️

The Right Order: Query String and Anchor Hashtag

The proper order for the query string and anchor hashtag is query string first, followed by the anchor hashtag. 🧐🔠

Following this order, the correct URL would be:

http://www.whatever.com?var=val#anchor

Addressing the Common Doubts ❓

You might be wondering why this order matters and if there is any official documentation on this topic. Let's dive in! 📚👀

Importance of the Order

The order of the query string and anchor hashtag in a URL is crucial because it determines how the URL is processed by the server and the client-side script. 📝💻

When the query string comes before the anchor hashtag, it is properly interpreted as parameters to be passed to the server. On the other hand, when the anchor hashtag comes first, it is treated as a client-side reference within the same page. 🗂️🚀

Official Documentation

While the order of query strings and anchor hashtags is not explicitly mentioned in official documentation, industry best practices and conventions have established the query string-first order as the standard. 📖🎓

Handling URLs in WordPress / PHP 🖥️✍️

If you are using WordPress or PHP to manage your URLs, you can ensure the correct order with a couple of simple methods:

Method 1: Using the add_query_arg() Function

WordPress provides a handy function called add_query_arg() that allows you to append query string parameters to a URL. By using this function, you can guarantee that the query string appears first in the URL. 🧰🔧

Example Usage:

$url = add_query_arg( 'var', 'val', 'http://www.whatever.com/#anchor' );

Method 2: Manually Forming the URL

If you prefer more control over your URL formation, you can manually construct the URL using concatenation or string interpolation. Remember to place the query string before the anchor hashtag. 🧪🔁

Example Code:

$queryString = '?var=val';
$anchor = '#anchor';

$url = 'http://www.whatever.com' . $queryString . $anchor;

Conclusion and Call-to-Action 🏁📣

Now that you know the proper order for query strings and anchor hashtags in a URL, you can ensure that your URLs are formed correctly and avoid any potential issues. Remember to prioritize the query string, followed by the anchor hashtag. 😄🚀

If you found this post helpful, make sure to share it with your friends and colleagues who might benefit from this knowledge! And if you have any further questions or experiences to share, we'd love to hear from you in the comments below! 💬👇

🎉 Keep navigating those URLs like a pro! 🎉