URL validation

  • Thread starter Thread starter Shahzad Atta
  • Start date Start date
S

Shahzad Atta

Hi there,
I need to write a URL validation function. This function needs to be robust
and correct. I tried different solutions using regular expressions but
cannot find a real one. I tried to wrote my own , but it is still not
perfect. Any help would be appreciated.
 
I need to write a URL validation function. This function needs to be
robust
and correct. I tried different solutions using regular expressions but
cannot find a real one. I tried to wrote my own , but it is still not
perfect. Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Do you mean that

a) the URL should point to a working site e.g. http://www.microsoft.com, or

b) that it just has to "look" like a real URL e.g.
http://www.mysitewhichdoesnotexist.co.zz

If a), then use HttpWebRequest and HttpWebResponse to see if you can browse
to it and get a valid response back.

If b), you'll need to break it up into its constituent parts and validate
each individually e.g.

Starts with http:// or https://

Site >= 3 characters long and <= 64 characters long, doesn't start with a
number, doesn't contain any of the invalid characters (e.g. "/" etc)

Extension is one of the valid top-level domains e.g. .com, .net, .info,
..gov, .museum etc or is one of the valid country identifiers e.g. .co.uk,
...ca etc
 
Thanks for your response.

I was talking about the second point.
However, I am already done with the part you mentioned in your reply. I-e
(http:// | https:// )[ www ]{.}(com|edu|co|..) etc.
The real problem starts after that. I-e http://www.abc.com/xyz/this.htm is
a valid url and so is
http://www.abc123.com/xyz/this.htm?abc=xy_z'dfh&this=that123
breaking in constituent parts is a good idea, but may be not the optimum
one. It would be better if I get a solution based on regular expression or a
hybrid one.
Thanks again.
 
Shahzad said:
Hi there,
I need to write a URL validation function. This function needs to be robust
and correct. I tried different solutions using regular expressions but
cannot find a real one. I tried to wrote my own , but it is still not
perfect. Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

System.Uri does the job.

bye
Rob
 
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