Google-chrome – How to install GWT browser plugin

Update: June-2021

For a specific case when you need all query params:

const urlSearchParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
const params = Object.fromEntries(urlSearchParams.entries());

Update: Sep-2018

You can use URLSearchParams which is simple and has decent (but not complete) browser support.

const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
const myParam = urlParams.get('myParam');

Original

You don't need jQuery for that purpose. You can use just some pure JavaScript:

function getParameterByName(name, url = window.location.href) {
    name = name.replace(/[\[\]]/g, '\\$&');
    var regex = new RegExp('[?&]' + name + '(=([^&#]*)|&|#|$)'),
        results = regex.exec(url);
    if (!results) return null;
    if (!results[2]) return '';
    return decodeURIComponent(results[2].replace(/\+/g, ' '));
}

Usage:

// query string: ?foo=lorem&bar=&baz
var foo = getParameterByName('foo'); // "lorem"
var bar = getParameterByName('bar'); // "" (present with empty value)
var baz = getParameterByName('baz'); // "" (present with no value)
var qux = getParameterByName('qux'); // null (absent)

NOTE: If a parameter is present several times (?foo=lorem&foo=ipsum), you will get the first value (lorem). There is no standard about this and usages vary, see for example this question: Authoritative position of duplicate HTTP GET query keys.

NOTE: The function is case-sensitive. If you prefer case-insensitive parameter name, add 'i' modifier to RegExp

NOTE: If you're getting a no-useless-escape eslint error, you can replace name = name.replace(/[\[\]]/g, '\\$&'); with name = name.replace(/[[\]]/g, '\\$&').

This is an update based on the new URLSearchParams specs to achieve the same result more succinctly. See answer titled "URLSearchParams" below.

I have been making a Chrome app called Postman for this type of stuff. All the other extensions seemed a bit dated so made my own. It also has a bunch of other features which have been helpful for documenting our own API here.

Postman now also has native apps (i.e. standalone) for Windows, Mac and Linux! It is more preferable now to use native apps, read more here.