diff --git a/lib/sharedFunctions.sh b/lib/sharedFunctions.sh
index d421611..265cbbf 100755
--- a/lib/sharedFunctions.sh
+++ b/lib/sharedFunctions.sh
@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@ function readFile() {
 
 # Escape a string
 # ------------------------------------------------------
-escape() { echo $@ | sed 's/\//\\\//g'; }
+# usage: var=$(escape "String")
+# ------------------------------------------------------
+escape() { echo $@ | sed 's/[]\.|$(){}?+*^]/\\&/g'; }
 
 # needSudo
 # ------------------------------------------------------
@@ -510,4 +512,25 @@ progressBar() {
   fi
 
   tput cnorm
+}
+
+# URL encoding/decoding from: https://gist.github.com/cdown/1163649
+urlencode() {
+    # urlencode <string>
+
+    local length="${#1}"
+    for (( i = 0; i < length; i++ )); do
+        local c="${1:i:1}"
+        case $c in
+            [a-zA-Z0-9.~_-]) printf "$c" ;;
+            *) printf '%%%02X' "'$c"
+        esac
+    done
+}
+
+urldecode() {
+    # urldecode <string>
+
+    local url_encoded="${1//+/ }"
+    printf '%b' "${url_encoded//%/\x}"
 }
\ No newline at end of file