KVPencoded

KVPencoded is a description of a simple data serialization approach that encodes structured data as a sequence of key=value pairs. In practice, it often relies on percent-encoding for special characters and uses a delimiter to separate pairs, mirroring the style of URL query strings and HTML form submissions. The term is used as a generic label rather than a formal standard, but the underlying idea is common across many implementations: preserve key-value associations in a text form that can be easily transmitted over networks or stored in text files.

Encoding rules typically involve representing keys and values as strings, percent-encoding characters that are not safe for transport. A pair delimiter such as an ampersand (&) or a semicolon is used to separate distinct key=value items. In many variants spaces are encoded as plus signs (+) or as %20. When the same key appears multiple times, behavior varies by consumer: some implementations interpret it as an array of values, while others take the last value for that key. Nested structures can be represented through composite keys using brackets (for example, user[email]).

Parsing and serialization workflows are straightforward: serialize by concatenating key=value items with the chosen delimiter after applying encoding, and parse by splitting on the delimiter, then splitting each item at the first equals sign and applying percent-decoding. Because KVPencoded is not tied to a single standard, the exact interpretation of repeated keys, nesting, or type information depends on the consuming system.

Applications include web query strings, form data transport, lightweight configuration parameters, and inter-process messages. Its simplicity and human readability are balanced by a lack of explicit typing and potential submission-length constraints. See also URL encoding, form data, and query strings.