PHP htmlspecialchars_decode() Function

PHP htmlspecialchars_decode() Function

The htmlspecialchars_decode() function in PHP convert some predefined HTML entities to characters.

The some predefined HTML entities that will be decoded are as follows:

• & OR & (ampersand)
• " OR " (double quote)
• ' OR ' (single quote)
• &lt; OR < (less than)
• &gt; OR > (greater than)

Syntax

htmlspecialchars_decode(string,flags)

Parameter

string(required)- This parameter specifies the string to decode.

flags(optional)- This parameter specifies how to handle quotes, invalid encoding and the used document type. The available flag constants are as follows:

• ENT_COMPAT- Table contains entities only for double-quotes
• ENT_QUOTES- The Table contains entities for both double and single quotes
• ENT_NOQUOTES- Table contains entities neither for single quotes nor for double quotes.
• ENT_HTML401- Table specifically for HTML 4.01.
• ENT_XML1- Table for XML 1.
• ENT_XHTML- Table for XHTML.
• ENT_HTML5- Table for HTML 5.

Return

This function returns the decoded string.

Example 1

<?php
 $str = "My name is &Amar. I'm from 'India'..";
 // using the Western European character-set:
 echo htmlspecialchars_decode($str, ENT_QUOTES);// Will only both single as well as double quotes
 ?> 

Output

My name is &Amar. I'm from 'India'..

Example 2

<?php
 // initializing the string with special characters
 $str = "<'Tutorial>&<Example'>";
 echo htmlspecialchars_decode($str, ENT_COMPAT); // Will only convert double quotes
 echo "\n";
 echo htmlspecialchars_decode($str, ENT_QUOTES); // will convert the double and single quotes 
 echo "\n";
 echo htmlspecialchars_decode($str, ENT_NOQUOTES); // Does not convert any quotes
 ?> 

Output

<'Tutorial>&<Example'>
 <'Tutorial>&<Example'>
 <'Tutorial>&<Example'> 

Example 3

<?php
 $str = '"PHP" is easy to learn.';
 echo htmlspecialchars_decode($str, ENT_QUOTES); // Converting  the double and single quotes
 ?> 

Output

"PHP" is easy to learn.