return StringUtils.newStringUsAscii(encode(pString.getBytes(charset)));
    }

    /**
     * Encodes a string into its URL safe form using the default string 
     * charset. Unsafe characters are escaped.
     *
     * @param pString string to convert to a URL safe form
     * @return URL safe string
     * @throws EncoderException Thrown if URL encoding is unsuccessful
     * 
     * @see #getDefaultCharset()
     */
    public String encode(String pString) throws EncoderException {
        if (pString == null) {
            return null;
        }
        try {
            return encode(pString, getDefaultCharset());
        } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
            throw new EncoderException(e.getMessage(), e);
        }
    }


    /**
     * Decodes a URL safe string into its original form using the 
     * specified encoding. Escaped characters are converted back 
     * to their original representation.
     *
     * @param pString URL safe string to convert into its original form
     * @param charset the original string charset
     * @return original string 
     * @throws DecoderException Thrown if URL decoding is unsuccessful
     * @throws UnsupportedEncodingException Thrown if charset is not
     *                                      supported 
     */
    public String decode(String pString, String charset) throws DecoderException, UnsupportedEncodingException {
        if (pString == null) {
            return null;
        }
        return new String(decode(StringUtils.getBytesUsAscii(pString)), charset);
    }

    /**
     * Decodes a URL safe string into its original form using the default
     * string charset. Escaped characters are converted back to their 
     * original representation.
     *
     * @param pString URL safe string to convert into its original form
     * @return original string 
     * @throws DecoderException Thrown if URL decoding is unsuccessful
     * 
     * @see #getDefaultCharset()
     */
    public String decode(String pString) throws DecoderException {
        if (pString == null) {
            return null;
        }
        try {
            return decode(pString, getDefaultCharset());
        } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
            throw new DecoderException(e.getMessage(), e);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Encodes an object into its URL safe form. Unsafe characters are 
     * escaped.
     *
     * @param pObject string to convert to a URL safe form
     * @return URL safe object
     * @throws EncoderException Thrown if URL encoding is not 
     *                          applicable to objects of this type or
     *                          if encoding is unsuccessful
     */
    public Object encode(Object pObject) throws EncoderException {
        if (pObject == null) {
            return null;
        } else if (pObject instanceof byte[]) {
            return encode((byte[])pObject);
        } else if (pObject instanceof String) {
            return encode((String)pObject);
        } else {
            throw new EncoderException("Objects of type " +
                pObject.getClass().getName() + " cannot be URL encoded"); 

    private static final byte[] URL_SAFE_ENCODE_TABLE = {
            'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'G', 'H', 'I', 'J', 'K', 'L', 'M',
            'N', 'O', 'P', 'Q', 'R', 'S', 'T', 'U', 'V', 'W', 'X', 'Y', 'Z',
            'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm',
            'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z',
            '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9', '-', '_'