jQuery append params to url

Question

I like the way jQuery's $.ajax() method allows to specify request url:

{
  url: 'http://domain.com/?param=1',
  data{
    param2: '2'
  }
}

$.ajax() method will (probably) call $.param() on provided data and optionally append it to provided URL.

My question is: is this type of url manipulation available outside of $.ajax() call?

For example, I want to open a popup window, and I would like to construct URL in the same way that I do with $.ajax().

I have written a function which does this, but I have a feeling I am reinventing the wheel and duplicating already existing function of jQuery:

var prepareUrl = function( url, data )
{
  var params = $.param( data );

  if ( params.length > 0 )
  {
    // url contains a query string
    if ( url.indexOf( '?' ) > -1 )
    {
      // get last char of url
      var lastChar = url.substr( url.length - 1 );

      // Append & to the end of url if required
      if ( lastChar != '&' && lastChar != '?' )
      {
        url += '&';
      }
    }

    else // url doesn't contain a query string
    {
      url += '?';
    }

    url += params;
  }

  return url;
}

thanks!

Answer 1

Since other replies didn't answer my question, i have made a few tests with the $.ajax() call to see how it merges urls with param data.

My findings so far:

• if url contains a ?, then $.ajax() will append '&' + $.param(data)
• if not, then $.ajax() will append '?' + $.param(data)

So if I want to keep my url processing function consistent with the way $.ajax() does it, then it should be something like the following:

  var addParams = function( url, data )
  {
    if ( ! $.isEmptyObject(data) )
    {
      url += ( url.indexOf('?') >= 0 ? '&' : '?' ) + $.param(data);
    }

    return url;
  }

I am still wondering if there is a built-in jQuery method to do this.