Index: api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/entitybroker/util/TemplateParseUtil.java
===================================================================
--- api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/entitybroker/util/TemplateParseUtil.java	(revision 54842)
+++ api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/entitybroker/util/TemplateParseUtil.java	(working copy)
@@ -85,15 +85,15 @@
    /**
     * Defines the valid chars for a replacement variable
     */
-   public static String VALID_VAR_CHARS = "[A-Za-z0-9_\\.\\-=:;]";
+   public static String VALID_VAR_CHARS = "[A-Za-z0-9\\\\(\\\\)\\+\\*\\.\\-_=,:;!~@%]";
    /**
     * Defines the valid chars for a parser input (e.g. entity reference)
     */
-   public static String VALID_INPUT_CHARS = "[A-Za-z0-9_\\-\\.=:;"+SEPARATOR+"]";
+   public static String VALID_INPUT_CHARS = "[A-Za-z0-9\\\\(\\\\)\\+\\*\\.\\-_=,:;!~@%"+SEPARATOR+"]";
    /**
     * Defines the valid chars for a template
     */
-   public static String VALID_TEMPLATE_CHARS = "[A-Za-z0-9_\\-\\.=:;"+SEPARATOR+"\\{\\}]";
+   public static String VALID_TEMPLATE_CHARS = "[A-Za-z0-9\\\\(\\\\)\\+\\*\\.\\-_=,:;&!~@%"+SEPARATOR+"\\{\\}]";
 
    /**
     * Stores the preloaded default templates
@@ -236,11 +236,17 @@
       String extension = null;
       if (input != null) {
          int extensionLoc = input.lastIndexOf(PERIOD, input.length());
-         if (extensionLoc > 0) {
-            stripped = input.substring(0, extensionLoc);
-            if ( (input.length() - 1) > extensionLoc) {
-               extension = input.substring(extensionLoc + 1);
-            }
+         if (extensionLoc == 0) {
+             // starts with a period so no extension, do nothing
+         } else {
+             int sepLoc = input.lastIndexOf(SEPARATOR, input.length());
+             if (extensionLoc > 0 
+                     && sepLoc < extensionLoc) {
+                stripped = input.substring(0, extensionLoc);
+                if ( (input.length() - 1) > extensionLoc) {
+                   extension = input.substring(extensionLoc + 1);
+                }
+             }
          }
       }
       return new String[] {input, stripped, extension};