URI::Generic#{user,password} return the encoded values, which are not that useful if you want to do authentication with them. Automatic decoding by default would break backwards compatibility. Optional automatic decoding via a keyword to URI.parse would require threading the option through at least 3 other methods, and would make semantics confusing (user= takes encoded or unencoded password?) or require more work. Thus, adding this as a separate method seemed the simplest approach. Unfortunately, URI lacks a method for correct decoding. Unlike in www form components, + in earlier parts of the URI such as the userinfo section is treated verbatim and not as an encoded space. Add URI.#{en,de}code_uri_component methods, which are almost the same as URI.#{en,de}code_www_form_component, but without the special SP => + handling. Implements [Feature #9045] https://.com/ruby/uri/commit/16cfc4e92f