Why does URL decoding in PHP sometimes result in discrepancies and how can I resolve them?

Unveiling the Mystery of URL Decoding Discrepancies in PHP

When attempting to decode a URL string using PHP's urldecode function, users may encounter unexpected results. For example, trying to decode a string like "Antônio Carlos Jobim" might produce "Antônio Carlos Jobim" instead of the intended output "Antônio Carlos Jobim."

The discrepancy arises from the fact that the string is not only encoded with URL encoding but also with UTF-8 encoding. To effectively decode such a string, PHP provides the utf8_decode function.

Solution:

To resolve the issue, employ the following approach:

<code class="php">echo utf8_decode(urldecode("Ant%C3%B4nio+Carlos+Jobim"));</code>

By combining urldecode and utf8_decode, the string is first decoded using URL encoding, then further decoded using UTF-8 encoding. This produces the correct output: "Antônio Carlos Jobim."

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