Feature > Option to skip empty string at "qs.stringify()"

[zxy-c]

const params = {
  a: "",
  b: "value"
}
const result = qs.stringify(params,{
  skipNulls:true,
  skipEmptyString:true
});
result === "b=value"

[ljharb]

See #226 and #307.

[adampatterson]

I am looking for this option as well, the vanity in me would like to see nice clean URLs 😆

[meotimdihia]

please add this option.

[ljharb]

@phuocnelet it never disappeared because it never existed.

[phuocnelet]

@ljharb My bad, I was confused with other library... My bad again but it could be a great feature actually !

[ghost]

why not add one flag to clear keys with empty-string?

[ljharb]

@motograter certainly we could add it - but we're not going to add features just because another library has it. What's the use case?

Either way, i think #372 (comment) still summarizes the best approach here, so I'm going to close this in favor of those.

[ghost]

@ljharb
hi man thx 4 answer,
example this is not first issue to feature clearing keys with empty string, so people asking about it

second
ususaly empty string this init value, so why send empty filter ?

and this strange logic , why empty array or object correct convert to "" , but when is string we parsed to "prop="

Empty strings and null values will omit the value, but the equals sign (=) remains in place:

assert.equal(qs.stringify({ a: '' }), 'a=');
Key with no values (such as an empty object or array) will return nothing:

assert.equal(qs.stringify({ a: [] }), '');
assert.equal(qs.stringify({ a: {} }), '');
assert.equal(qs.stringify({ a: [{}] }), '');
assert.equal(qs.stringify({ a: { b: []} }), '');
assert.equal(qs.stringify({ a: { b: {}} }), '');

and i have another issue another lib

[ljharb]

@motograter i'm not entirely clear what your comment is trying to get across.

I do understand that if you want someone to be able to search for the empty string, the interface is tricky unless you force them to always write the quotes (or whatever delimiter). I'm not sure how this applies to qs, though, since via a custom encoder or decoder you can make whatever decisions you like there.

[ghost]

@ljharb oh agree, thank you, i some fixes in my backend server
this works, but string little confuses me

example i have 5 filters, init values on client = empty strings, in future i some change on client and send to server

and this initial string look like it , before i change any of filter

http://localhost:4002/api/endpoint?page=2&filters[name]=&filters[type]=&filters[age]=&filters[date]=

this is normal?

[ljharb]

Yes, an empty string for foo stringifies as foo=.

[bjmvercelli]

@ljharb do you think this feature still relevant? I could take a look soon.

I needed this feature few weeks ago but ended up resolving on my side, so i believe it is relevant...

[ljharb]

@bjmvercelli #307 is still open. If you could elaborate on the use case, that'd help.