example.rb

require 'oauth_util.rb'
require 'net/http'

o = OauthUtil.new

o.consumer_key = 'examplek9SGJUTUpocjZ5QjBJmQ9WVdrOVVFNHdSR2x1TkhFbWNHbzlNQS0tJnM9Y29uc3VtkZXJzZWNyZXQmeD0yYg--';
o.consumer_secret = 'exampled88d4109c63e778dsadcdd5c1875814977';

url = 'http://query.yahooapis.com/v1/yql?q=select%20*%20from%20social.updates.search%20where%20query%3D%22search%20terms%22&diagnostics=true';

parsed_url = URI.parse( url )

Net::HTTP.start( parsed_url.host ) { | http |
  req = Net::HTTP::Get.new "#{ parsed_url.path }?#{ o.sign(parsed_url).query_string }"
  response = http.request(req)
  print response.read_body
}

oauth_util.rb

# A utility for signing an url using OAuth in a way that's convenient for debugging
# Note: the standard Ruby OAuth lib is here http://github.com/mojodna/oauth
# License: http://gist.github.com/375593
# Usage: see example.rb below

require 'uri'
require 'cgi'
require 'openssl'
require 'base64'

class OauthUtil
  
  attr_accessor :consumer_key, :consumer_secret, :token, :token_secret, :req_method, 
                :sig_method, :oauth_version, :callback_url, :params, :req_url, :base_str
  
  def initialize
    @consumer_key = ''
    @consumer_secret = ''
    @token = ''
    @token_secret = ''
    @req_method = 'GET'
    @sig_method = 'HMAC-SHA1'
    @oauth_version = '1.0'
    @callback_url = ''
  end
  
  # openssl::random_bytes returns non-word chars, which need to be removed. using alt method to get length
  # ref http://snippets.dzone.com/posts/show/491
  def nonce
    Array.new( 5 ) { rand(256) }.pack('C*').unpack('H*').first
  end
  
  def percent_encode( string )
    
    # ref http://snippets.dzone.com/posts/show/1260
    return URI.escape( string, Regexp.new("[^#{URI::PATTERN::UNRESERVED}]") ).gsub('*', '%2A')
  end
  
  # @ref http://oauth.net/core/1.0/#rfc.section.9.2
  def signature
    key = percent_encode( @consumer_secret ) + '&' + percent_encode( @token_secret )
    
    # ref: http://blog.nathanielbibler.com/post/63031273/openssl-hmac-vs-ruby-hmac-benchmarks
    digest = OpenSSL::Digest::Digest.new( 'sha1' )
    hmac = OpenSSL::HMAC.digest( digest, key, @base_str )
    
    # ref http://groups.google.com/group/oauth-ruby/browse_thread/thread/9110ed8c8f3cae81
    Base64.encode64( hmac ).chomp.gsub( /\n/, '' )
  end

  def encode_key_value(key, val)
      "#{ percent_encode( key ) }=#{ percent_encode( val.to_s ) }"
  end
  
  # sort (very important as it affects the signature), concat, and percent encode
  # sort also important within elements of same name
  # @ref http://oauth.net/core/1.0/#rfc.section.9.1.1
  # @ref http://oauth.net/core/1.0/#9.2.1
  # @ref http://oauth.net/core/1.0/#rfc.section.A.5.1
  def query_string
    pairs = []
    @params.sort.each { | key, val |
      # CGI.parse returns an array for each key/values. Array.to_s includes the square brackets
      # http://www.ruby-doc.org/stdlib-1.9.3/libdoc/cgi/rdoc/CGI.html#method-c-parse
      if val.is_a?(Array)
        val.sort.each do |val_element|
          pairs.push(encode_key_value(key, val_element))
        end
      else
        pairs.push(encode_key_value(key, val))
      end
    }
    pairs.join '&'
  end
  
  # organize params & create signature
  def sign( parsed_url )
    
    @params = {
      'oauth_consumer_key' => @consumer_key,
      'oauth_nonce' => nonce,
      'oauth_signature_method' => @sig_method,
      'oauth_timestamp' => Time.now.to_i.to_s,
      'oauth_version' => @oauth_version
    }

    # if url has query, merge key/values into params obj overwriting defaults
    if parsed_url.query
      @params.merge! CGI.parse( parsed_url.query )
    end
    
    # @ref http://oauth.net/core/1.0/#rfc.section.9.1.2
    @req_url = parsed_url.scheme + '://' + parsed_url.host + parsed_url.path
    
    # create base str. make it an object attr for ez debugging
    # ref http://oauth.net/core/1.0/#anchor14
    @base_str = [ 
      @req_method, 
      percent_encode( req_url ), 
      
      # normalization is just x-www-form-urlencoded
      percent_encode( query_string ) 
      
    ].join( '&' )

    # add signature
    @params[ 'oauth_signature' ] = signature
    
    return self
  end
end

When arguments are passed in from the driver code, CGI.parse returns an array for each key/values. Array.to_s includes the square brackets which makes some parameters reject the string as being inva

{"bossresponse":{"responsecode":"400","reason":"Invalid value in parameter 'flags'"}}

This change will account for a param name being an Array, sorts it according to the Normalize Request Parameters section in OAuth 1.0 before encoding it.