UTF8_ENCODE(3) 1 UTF8_ENCODE(3)
utf8_encode - Encodes an ISO-8859-1 string to UTF-8
SYNOPSIS
string utf8_encode (string $data)
DESCRIPTION
This function encodes the string $data to UTF-8, and returns the encoded version. UTF-8 is a standard mechanism used by Unicode for
encoding wide character values into a byte stream. UTF-8 is transparent to plain ASCII characters, is self-synchronized (meaning it is
possible for a program to figure out where in the bytestream characters start) and can be used with normal string comparison functions for
sorting and such. PHP encodes UTF-8 characters in up to four bytes, like this:
UTF-8 encoding
+------+-------------------------------------+---+
|bytes | | |
| | | |
| | bits | |
| | | |
| | representation | |
| | | |
+------+-------------------------------------+---+
| 1 | | |
| | | |
| | 7 | |
| | | |
| | 0bbbbbbb | |
| | | |
| 2 | | |
| | | |
| | 11 | |
| | | |
| | 110bbbbb 10bbbbbb | |
| | | |
| 3 | | |
| | | |
| | 16 | |
| | | |
| | 1110bbbb 10bbbbbb 10bbbbbb | |
| | | |
| 4 | | |
| | | |
| | 21 | |
| | | |
| | 11110bbb 10bbbbbb 10bbbbbb 10bbbbbb | |
| | | |
+------+-------------------------------------+---+
Each b represents a bit that can be used to store character data.
PARAMETERS
o $data
- An ISO-8859-1 string.
RETURN VALUES
Returns the UTF-8 translation of $data.
SEE ALSO
utf8_decode(3).
PHP Documentation Group UTF8_ENCODE(3)
