#!/usr/bin/perl

  use URI::Escape;

  my $link = 'httpd://www.example.com/stuff/this and that.pl?foo=bar';
  $link = uri_escape($link);

  if ($gimme_what_i_want) {
    $link =~ s!%2F!/!g;
    $link =~ s!%3A!:!g;
    $link =~ s!%3F!?!g;
    $link =~ s!%3D!=!g;
  }

  print "$link\n";

__DATA__

the old way:

httpd://www.example.com/stuff/this%20and%20that.pl?foo=bar

the new way:

httpd%3A%2F%2Fwww.example.com%2Fstuff%2Fthis%20and%20that.pl%3Ffoo%3Dbar