Metacat

   * Utility method to parse the query part of a URL into parameters. This

   * method assumes the format of the query par tof the url is an 

   * ampersand separated list of name/value pairs, with equal signs separating

   * the name from the value (e.g., name=tom&zip=99801 ). Returns a

   * has of the name value pairs, hashed on name.

   */

  public static Hashtable parseQuery(String query) throws MalformedURLException

  {

    String[][] params = new String[200][2];

    Hashtable parameters = new Hashtable();

    String temp = "";

    boolean ampflag = true;

    boolean poundflag = false;

    int arrcount = 0;

    for (int i=0; i < query.length(); i++) { 

      // go throught the remainder of the query one character at a time.

      if (query.charAt(i) == '=') { 

        // if the current char is a # then the preceding should be a name

        if (!poundflag && ampflag) {

          params[arrcount][0] = temp.trim();

          temp = "";

        } else { 

          //if there are two #s or &s in a row throw an exception.

          throw new MalformedURLException("metacatURL: Two parameter names " +                                            "not allowed in sequence");

        }

        poundflag = true;

        ampflag = false;

      } else if (query.charAt(i) == '&' || i == query.length()-1) { 

        //the text preceding the & should be the param value.

        if (i == query.length() - 1) { 

          //if at the end of the string grab the last value and append it.

          if (query.charAt(i) != '=') { 

            //ignore an extra & on the end of the string

            temp += query.charAt(i);

          }

        }

        if (!ampflag && poundflag) {

          params[arrcount][1] = temp.trim();

          parameters.put(params[arrcount][0], params[arrcount][1]);

          temp = "";

          arrcount++; //increment the array to the next row.

        } else { 

          //if there are two =s or &s in a row through an exception

          throw new MalformedURLException("metacatURL: Two parameter values " +

                                          "not allowed in sequence");

        }

        poundflag = false;

        ampflag = true;

      } else { 

        //get the next character in the string

        temp += query.charAt(i);

      }

    }

    return parameters;

  }

  /**