diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/ChadoCvTermView.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/ChadoCvTermView.java
index 9bd1d2b7c1b85c46fb5517e400cb9fcdd4ef3620..33d1ac7aacd4cc0dcc3c22150c4508fca21dd9bd 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/ChadoCvTermView.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/ChadoCvTermView.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import org.gmod.schema.cv.CvTerm;
 
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.components.genebuilder.JExtendedComboBox;
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.components.genebuilder.cv.CvTermsComparator;
+import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.DatabaseLocationParser;
 
 import java.awt.BorderLayout;
 import java.awt.Color;
@@ -345,33 +346,18 @@ public class ChadoCvTermView extends JFrame
     pfield = new JPasswordField(16);
     bacross.add(pfield);
 
+    
+    DatabaseLocationParser dlp = new DatabaseLocationParser();
     // given -Dchado=localhost:port/dbname?username
     if(System.getProperty("chado") != null)
     {
       String db_url = System.getProperty("chado").trim();
-      int index;
-      if((index = db_url.indexOf(":")) > -1)
-      {
-        inServer.setText(db_url.substring(0, index));
-        int index2;
-        if((index2 = db_url.indexOf("/")) > -1)
-        {
-          inPort.setText(db_url.substring(index + 1, index2));
-          int index3;
-          if((index3 = db_url.indexOf("?")) > -1)
-          {
-            inDB.setText(db_url.substring(index2 + 1, index3));
-            inUser.setText(db_url.substring(index3 + 1));
-
-            /*
-             * if(!prompt_user) { location = "jdbc:postgresql://"
-             * +inServer.getText().trim()+ ":" +inPort.getText().trim()+ "/"
-             * +inDB.getText().trim()+ "?user=" +inUser.getText().trim(); return
-             * true; }
-             */
-          }
-        }
-      }
+      dlp.setFromURLString(db_url);
+      inServer.setText(dlp.getHost());
+      inPort.setText("" + dlp.getPort());
+      inDB.setText(dlp.getDatabase());
+      inUser.setText(dlp.getUsername());
+   
     }
 
     int n = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(null, bacross,
@@ -379,10 +365,14 @@ public class ChadoCvTermView extends JFrame
         JOptionPane.QUESTION_MESSAGE);
     if(n == JOptionPane.CANCEL_OPTION)
       return false;
-
-    location = "jdbc:postgresql://" + inServer.getText().trim() + ":"
-        + inPort.getText().trim() + "/" + inDB.getText().trim() + "?user="
-        + inUser.getText().trim();
+    
+    
+    dlp.setHost(inServer.getText());
+    dlp.setPort(inPort.getText());
+    dlp.setDatabase(inDB.getText());
+    dlp.setUsername(inUser.getText());
+  
+    location = dlp.getCompleteURL();
 
     System.setProperty("chado", location);
     return true;
diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/ChadoDemo.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/ChadoDemo.java
index bed09f9ab153228fb4a2af203ac21abe02e987a3..b1b49370b02674b299fac026f011767874846138 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/ChadoDemo.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/ChadoDemo.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ import javax.swing.event.ListSelectionListener;
 import javax.swing.event.ListSelectionEvent;
 
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.ByteBuffer;
-
+import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.DatabaseLocationParser;
 
 /**
  * Chado data access example code. This searches for features by their
@@ -460,33 +460,18 @@ public class ChadoDemo
     pfield = new JPasswordField(16);
     bacross.add(pfield);
 
+    
+    DatabaseLocationParser dlp = new DatabaseLocationParser();
     // given -Dchado=localhost:port/dbname?username
     if(System.getProperty("chado") != null)
     {
       String db_url = System.getProperty("chado").trim();
-      int index;
-      if((index = db_url.indexOf(":")) > -1)
-      {
-        inServer.setText(db_url.substring(0, index));
-        int index2;
-        if((index2 = db_url.indexOf("/")) > -1)
-        {
-          inPort.setText(db_url.substring(index + 1, index2));
-          int index3;
-          if((index3 = db_url.indexOf("?")) > -1)
-          {
-            inDB.setText(db_url.substring(index2 + 1, index3));
-            inUser.setText(db_url.substring(index3 + 1));
-
-            /*
-             * if(!prompt_user) { location = "jdbc:postgresql://"
-             * +inServer.getText().trim()+ ":" +inPort.getText().trim()+ "/"
-             * +inDB.getText().trim()+ "?user=" +inUser.getText().trim(); return
-             * true; }
-             */
-          }
-        }
-      }
+      dlp.setFromURLString(db_url);
+      inServer.setText(dlp.getHost());
+      inPort.setText("" + dlp.getPort());
+      inDB.setText(dlp.getDatabase());
+      inUser.setText(dlp.getUsername());
+      
     }
 
     int n = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(null, bacross,
@@ -495,9 +480,12 @@ public class ChadoDemo
     if(n == JOptionPane.CANCEL_OPTION)
       return false;
 
-    location = "jdbc:postgresql://" + inServer.getText().trim() + ":"
-        + inPort.getText().trim() + "/" + inDB.getText().trim() + "?user="
-        + inUser.getText().trim();
+    dlp.setHost(inServer.getText());
+    dlp.setPort(inPort.getText());
+    dlp.setDatabase(inDB.getText());
+    dlp.setUsername(inUser.getText());
+  
+    location = dlp.getCompleteURL();
 
     System.setProperty("chado", location);
     
diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/DbSqlConfig.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/DbSqlConfig.java
index 7752fcc4ad56e44d4b995985898b9c5196491cee..f3b7ec639a36550c6c2b475c3af38ab8f992c178 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/DbSqlConfig.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/DbSqlConfig.java
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ import com.ibatis.sqlmap.client.SqlMapClient;
 import com.ibatis.sqlmap.client.SqlMapClientBuilder;
 import com.ibatis.common.resources.Resources;
 
+import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.DatabaseLocationParser;
+
 import javax.swing.JPasswordField;
 import java.util.Properties;
 import java.io.Reader;
@@ -62,23 +64,27 @@ public class DbSqlConfig
      if(System.getProperty("chado") != null)
      {
        String url = System.getProperty("chado");
-       int index  = url.indexOf("?");
-       int index2 = url.indexOf("user=");
+       DatabaseLocationParser dlp = new DatabaseLocationParser();
+       dlp.setFromURLString(url);
+//       int index  = url.indexOf("?");
+//       int index2 = url.indexOf("user=");
        properties = new Properties();
 
-       int index3 = url.indexOf("://");
-       if(index3 < 0)
-         index3 = 0;
-       else
-         index3 = index3+3;
-
-       properties.put("chado", url.substring(index3,index)); 
-
-       if(index2 < 0)
-         properties.put("username", url.substring(index+1));
-       else
-         properties.put("username", url.substring(index2+5));
-
+//       int index3 = url.indexOf("://");
+//       if(index3 < 0)
+//         index3 = 0;
+//       else
+//         index3 = index3+3;
+
+//       properties.put("chado", url.substring(index3,index)); 
+       properties.put("chado",url);
+
+//       if(index2 < 0)
+//         properties.put("username", url.substring(index+1));
+//       else
+//         properties.put("username", url.substring(index2+5));
+       properties.put("username",dlp.getUsername());
+       
        if(fpasswd != null && fpasswd.getPassword().length > 0)
          properties.put("password", new String(fpasswd.getPassword()));
      }
diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/JdbcDAO.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/JdbcDAO.java
index 6f1fa71484ab00c50e4bc4732e87cd81cf518c41..1f7d77ba65d4979ffffd7b5d587c9c6f892963be 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/JdbcDAO.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/chado/JdbcDAO.java
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Vector;
 
+import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.DatabaseLocationParser;
+
 import org.gmod.schema.sequence.Feature;
 import org.gmod.schema.sequence.FeatureCvTerm;
 import org.gmod.schema.sequence.FeatureCvTermProp;
@@ -81,9 +83,10 @@ public class JdbcDAO extends GmodDAO
       conn = DriverManager.getConnection(location);
 
     // assume we have a password
-    final int index = location.indexOf("?user=");
-    conn = DriverManager.getConnection(location.substring(0, index),
-                                       location.substring(index + 6),
+    DatabaseLocationParser dlp = new DatabaseLocationParser();
+    dlp.setFromURLString(location);
+    conn = DriverManager.getConnection(dlp.getConnectionString(),
+                                       dlp.getUsername(),
                                        new String(pfield.getPassword()));
   }
 
diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/ProjectProperty.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/ProjectProperty.java
index 1011c641434c1bbcd5d5dc99d5b0d38aa721cd68..23d0eb83de1ea3f2a3b3eeaac3ed33e66089265a 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/ProjectProperty.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/ProjectProperty.java
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.components.database.DatabaseEntrySource;
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.components.database.DatabaseJPanel;
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.Document;
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.FileDocument;
+import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.DatabaseLocationParser;
 
 /**
  * Project file management system using a properties file.
@@ -726,9 +727,13 @@ public class ProjectProperty extends JFrame
   private void openDatabase(final Splash splash, final String featureName)
   {
     String loc = System.getProperty("chado");
-    int idx;
-    if((idx = loc.indexOf("?")) > -1 && loc.indexOf("?user=") == -1)
-      loc = loc.substring(0, idx+1) + "user=" + loc.substring(idx+1);
+    DatabaseLocationParser dlp = new DatabaseLocationParser();
+    dlp.setFromURLString(loc);
+    
+    
+//    int idx;
+//    if((idx = loc.indexOf("?")) > -1 && loc.indexOf("?user=") == -1)
+//      loc = loc.substring(0, idx+1) + "user=" + loc.substring(idx+1);
 
     if( entry_source == null || 
        !entry_source.getLocation().endsWith(loc) )
diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/database/DatabaseEntrySource.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/database/DatabaseEntrySource.java
index 6eaa7396367b5265fd71fa40b8f227c2dc99cc42..2a41fcedf3c6ae7507d2fba8dcf0a3f61f5f79a4 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/database/DatabaseEntrySource.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/database/DatabaseEntrySource.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import java.awt.event.ItemEvent;
 import java.awt.event.ItemListener;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.Serializable;
+import javax.swing.JCheckBox;
 
 import javax.swing.JLabel;
 import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.Options;
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.sequence.Bases;
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.sequence.NoSequenceException;
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.DatabaseDocument;
+import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.DatabaseLocationParser;
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.InputStreamProgressListener;
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.OutOfRangeException;
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.StringVector;
@@ -185,13 +187,14 @@ public class DatabaseEntrySource implements EntrySource, Serializable
     }
     
     pfield = promptPanel.getPfield();
+    DatabaseLocationParser dlp = new DatabaseLocationParser();
+    dlp.setHost(promptPanel.getServer());
+    dlp.setPort(promptPanel.getPort());
+    dlp.setDatabase(promptPanel.getDb());
+    dlp.setUsername(promptPanel.getUser());
+    dlp.setSSL(promptPanel.getSSL());
     
-    location = "jdbc:postgresql://" + 
-               promptPanel.getServer() + ":" +
-               promptPanel.getPort() + "/" +
-               promptPanel.getDb() + "?user=" +
-               promptPanel.getUser();
-
+    location = dlp.getCompleteURL();
     return true;
   }
   
@@ -340,6 +343,7 @@ interface ILoginPrompt
     String getPort();
     String getDb();
     String getUser();
+    boolean getSSL();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -353,6 +357,7 @@ class DatabaseLoginPrompt extends JPanel implements ILoginPrompt
   private JTextField port;
   private JTextField db;
   private JTextField user;
+  private JCheckBox ssl;
   public DatabaseLoginPrompt()
   {
     super(new GridBagLayout());
@@ -378,6 +383,9 @@ class DatabaseLoginPrompt extends JPanel implements ILoginPrompt
     c.gridy = ++nrow;
     add(new JLabel("Password : "), c);
 
+    c.gridy = ++nrow;
+    add(new JLabel("SSL : "), c);
+    
     // column 2
     nrow = 1;
     c.anchor = GridBagConstraints.WEST;
@@ -396,12 +404,16 @@ class DatabaseLoginPrompt extends JPanel implements ILoginPrompt
     add(db, c);
 
     c.gridy = ++nrow;
-    user = new JTextField("afumigatus");
+    user = new JTextField("");
     add(user, c);
     
     c.gridy = ++nrow;
     pfield = new JPasswordField(16);
     add(pfield, c);
+    
+    c.gridy = ++nrow;
+    ssl = new JCheckBox();
+    add(ssl, c);
 
     // given -Dchado=localhost:port/dbname?username
     if(System.getProperty("chado") != null)
@@ -436,44 +448,13 @@ class DatabaseLoginPrompt extends JPanel implements ILoginPrompt
   
   private void setFromURL(String db_url)
   {
-    if(db_url.startsWith("jdbc:postgresql://"))
-      db_url = db_url.substring(18);
-    
-    int index;
-    if((index = db_url.indexOf(":")) > -1)
-    {
-      server.setText(db_url.substring(0, index));
-      int index2;
-      if((index2 = db_url.indexOf("/")) > -1)
-      {
-        port.setText(db_url.substring(index + 1, index2));
-        int index3;
-        if((index3 = db_url.indexOf("?")) > -1)
-        {
-          db.setText(db_url.substring(index2 + 1, index3));
-          
-          String userStr = db_url.substring(index3 + 1);
-          if(userStr.startsWith("user="))
-            userStr = userStr.substring(5);
-          user.setText(userStr);
-
-          /*
-           * if(!prompt_user) { location = "jdbc:postgresql://"
-           * +inServer.getText().trim()+ ":" +inPort.getText().trim()+ "/"
-           * +inDB.getText().trim()+ "?user=" +inUser.getText().trim(); return
-           * true; }
-           */
-        }
-        /** 
-            @TODO GSV determine if the case where a user only passes in db name without a user name should be handled like this:
-            } else
-	        {
-	            db = (db_url.substring(index2 + 1));
-	        }
-	    /*/
-        
-      }
-    }  
+      DatabaseLocationParser dlp = new DatabaseLocationParser();
+      dlp.setFromURLString(db_url);
+      server.setText(dlp.getHost());
+      port.setText("" + dlp.getPort());
+      db.setText(dlp.getDatabase());
+      user.setText(dlp.getUsername());
+      ssl.setSelected(dlp.getSSL());
   }
   
   /**
@@ -554,6 +535,11 @@ class DatabaseLoginPrompt extends JPanel implements ILoginPrompt
   {
     return user.getText().trim();
   }
+  
+  public boolean getSSL()
+  {
+    return ssl.isSelected();
+  }
 }
 
 class DatabaseLoginPromptConsole implements ILoginPrompt
@@ -563,6 +549,7 @@ class DatabaseLoginPromptConsole implements ILoginPrompt
 	private String port;
 	private String db;
 	private String user;
+        private String ssl;
 
 	public DatabaseLoginPromptConsole()
 	{
@@ -583,33 +570,13 @@ class DatabaseLoginPromptConsole implements ILoginPrompt
 	
 	private void setFromURL(String db_url)
 	  {
-	    if(db_url.startsWith("jdbc:postgresql://"))
-	      db_url = db_url.substring(18);
-	    
-	    int index;
-	    if((index = db_url.indexOf(":")) > -1)
-	    {
-	      server = (db_url.substring(0, index));
-	      int index2;
-	      if((index2 = db_url.indexOf("/")) > -1)
-	      {
-	        port = (db_url.substring(index + 1, index2));
-	        int index3;
-	        if((index3 = db_url.indexOf("?")) > -1)
-	        {
-	          db = (db_url.substring(index2 + 1, index3));
-	          
-	          String userStr = db_url.substring(index3 + 1);
-	          if(userStr.startsWith("user="))
-	            userStr = userStr.substring(5);
-	          user = (userStr);
-
-	        } else
-	        {
-	            db = (db_url.substring(index2 + 1));
-	        }
-	      }
-	    }  
+              DatabaseLocationParser dlp = new DatabaseLocationParser();
+              dlp.setFromURLString(db_url);
+              server = dlp.getHost();
+              port = "" + dlp.getPort();
+              db = dlp.getDatabase();
+              user = dlp.getUsername();
+              ssl = dlp.isSSLEnabled() ? "y" : "";
 	  }
 	
 	public JPasswordField getPfield()
@@ -638,6 +605,11 @@ class DatabaseLoginPromptConsole implements ILoginPrompt
 	{
 		return user;
 	}
+        
+        public boolean getSSL()
+        {
+                return ssl.toLowerCase().equals("y") || ssl.toLowerCase().equals("yes");
+        }
 
 	public boolean prompt() 
 	{
@@ -672,6 +644,11 @@ class DatabaseLoginPromptConsole implements ILoginPrompt
 			password = UI.userInput("Enter Password", true);
 			userEntered = true;
 		}
+                if (ssl == null)
+		{
+			ssl = UI.userInput("Use SSL [y/n]", false);
+			userEntered = true;
+		}
 		
 		/**
 		    GSV found that that this should always return true
diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/DatabaseDocument.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/DatabaseDocument.java
index 2c27582bca97f323e63dc3a3a9e1f7ff21db85b4..2e65ae30d7c4119a6800df4011d27f1dd5ca23b4 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/DatabaseDocument.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/DatabaseDocument.java
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.chado.ChadoTransaction;
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.components.database.DatabaseEntrySource;
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.components.genebuilder.GeneUtils;
 import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.components.Splash;
+import uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util.DatabaseLocationParser;
 
 import org.gmod.schema.sequence.Feature;
 import org.gmod.schema.sequence.FeatureProp;
@@ -2473,18 +2474,20 @@ public class DatabaseDocument extends Document
         } 
       });  
     }
-    catch(RuntimeException sqlExp)
+    catch(RuntimeException runExp)
     {
-      JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "SQL Problems...\n"+
+        runExp.printStackTrace();
+      JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Runtime Problems...\n"+
                                     getLocation()+"\n"+
-                                    sqlExp.getMessage(), 
-                                    "SQL Error",
+                                    runExp.getMessage(), 
+                                    "Runtime Error",
                                     JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
       
-      logger4j.debug(sqlExp.getMessage());
+      logger4j.debug(runExp.getMessage());
     }
     catch(ConnectException exp)
     {
+        exp.printStackTrace();
       JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Connection Problems...\n"+
             exp.getMessage(), 
             "Connection Error",
@@ -2494,6 +2497,7 @@ public class DatabaseDocument extends Document
     }
     catch(java.sql.SQLException sqlExp)
     {
+        sqlExp.printStackTrace();
       JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "SQL Problems....\n"+
                                     getLocation()+"\n"+
                                     sqlExp.getMessage(), 
@@ -2643,13 +2647,17 @@ public class DatabaseDocument extends Document
     // "localhost:10001/backup?chado"
     
     String url = (String)getLocation();
-    int index  = url.indexOf("?");
-    
-    String userName = url.substring(index+1).trim();
-    if(userName.startsWith("user="))
-      userName = userName.substring(5);
-    
-    return userName;
+    DatabaseLocationParser dlp = new DatabaseLocationParser();
+    dlp.setFromURLString(url);
+    
+//    
+//    int index  = url.indexOf("?");
+//    
+//    String userName = url.substring(index+1).trim();
+//    if(userName.startsWith("user="))
+//      userName = userName.substring(5);
+//    
+    return dlp.getUsername();
   }
   
   private GmodDAO getDAOOnly()