Updated April 20, 2023
Introduction to PHP addslashes() function
addslashes() function is an inbuild and pre-defined function in PHP which is used for returning a string containing backlashes and is prefixed before all predefined characters present within the string. PHP addslashes() function has a special characteristic that it does not consider any parameters or arguments to be passed from the function. The predefined characters behave differently in this function. addslashes function somewhat differently in comparison to the addcslashes() function because this function accepts specified characters that need to be added before the slashes but is not important for addslashes() function as it doesn’t allow any parameter to pass and appends the slash before the specified character.
Syntax
addslashes($string)
- addslashes(): The addslashes() function allows only one parameter or argument to be passed from within the function followed by the $ symbol of string.
- $string : This is the argument that will be passed to the addslashes function as an input to the function. it specifies a special structure of the attribute designating the string.
Return type: Return type for this is to return the string with backslashes in front of the characters which are pre-defined and prefixed in front of the string which adds string in function.
How addslashes() function works in PHP?
addslashes is a special inbuild function in the PHP defined string references and string packages which generates a quote for the quote string with slashes. It has a return type which returns the string with a special format in a way that the characters within the string will be prefixed following a string of characters:
- Single quote: It is represented by a symbol (‘)
- Double quote: It is represented by a symbol (” “)
- Backslash: It is represented by a symbol ( \)
- Null: It is represented by the (NUL byte)
Use cases will vary with the string of characters in a way that the characters that will be prefixed before the string with these characters will be escaped set of characters.
This function has been added and came into its usage after PHP version 5.4.0 and above, otherwise, the default value was being considered as magic_quotes_gpc on all types of GET, POST, and cookies being used on the string as mentioned for addslashes() function.
Sometimes this function behaves abnormally once incorporated with the database queries. Therefore, it depends on the type of requirement and versions to check and cope up with the addslashes function once it is in use with PHP. Since this makes it ambiguous to make it work with databases there are times or scenario that may arise for making it sync with Database injection and its related queries at that time it is very much needed to make database-specific escaped functions or prepared statements for its use.
Moreover, many substrings which act or are a part of the addslashes function which includes following function as its companion:
- stripcslashes(): It is a function as part of addslashes which is used to generate some un-quoted string but are quoted with some addcslashes.
- stripslashes(): It is also a companion of addslashes function which unquote any of the generated quoted string.
- addcslashes(): It is another part of addslashes function which works totally complimentary with the addslashes function in a way that it quotes string with inbuild function including a C style pattern for it.
- htmlspecialchars(): This function works in a way that a special character gets converted into HTML entities.
- Quotemeta(): This function works for characters within characters which are called meta characters type.
- get_magic_quotes_gpc(): This function also behaves in a similar fashion with a very less difference of present settings in configuration for setting of magic_quotes_gpc.
Examples of PHP addslashes() Function
Below are the different examples :
Example #1
This program represents the addslashes function for the representation of the string with an output of the generated string with escaped sequences of characters.
Code:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
$str = addslashes('hope you are doing good with educba!');
echo($str);
?>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Example #2
This program represents the addslashes function for the representation of the string with an output of the generated string with escaped sequences of characters but supporting the ambiguous behavior of the database injection.
Code:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
$str = "Which car is Volkswaon?";
echo $str . " It Is safe during database injection.<br>";
echo addslashes($str) . " Safe for database injection.";
?>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Example #3
This program represents the addcslashes() function for the representation of the string with an output of the generated string with escaped sequences of characters by adding a backslash in front of the letter W which behaves completely opposite of addslashes() function.
Code:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
$str = addcslashes("Welcome Educba!","W");
echo($str);
?>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Example #4
This program represents the addcslashes() function for the representation of the string with an output of the generated string with escaped sequences of characters by adding a backslash in front of the letter educba for adding backslashes which behave completely opposite of addslashes() function.
Code:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
$str = "Thanks for revisiting the educba portal!";
echo $str."<br>";
echo addcslashes($str,'d')."<br>";
echo addcslashes($str,'c')."<br>";
echo addcslashes($str,'b')."<br>";
?>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Example #5
This program represents the addcslashes() function for the representation of the string with an output of the generated string with escaped sequences of characters by adding a backslash in front of the letter educba for adding multiple backslashes which behaves completely opposite of addslashes() function.
Code:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
$str = "Thanks for revisiting to our portal of educba!";
echo $str."<br>";
echo addcslashes($str,'A..Z')."<br>";
echo addcslashes($str,'a..z')."<br>";
echo addcslashes($str,'a..g');
?>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Example #6
This program represents the HTML special characters with the elements to translate the element’s value into one value using string.
Code:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<?php
$str = "There are some good person.";
echo htmlspecialchars($str);
?>
<p>Translate into entities with HTML special characters with the elements to prevent browsers and prevent code running to display from input to the homepage</p>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Conclusion
The addslashes function is used to represent and traverse the string by prefixing the backslash string in front of the entire special character string and is used to quote the necessary and important string to be used simultaneously.
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This is a guide to PHP addslashes(). Here we discuss how addslashes() function works in PHP along with multiple examples and its code implementation. You may also have a look at the following articles to learn more –