PHP addslashes() Function
Quick summary: The PHP addslashes() function returns a string with backslashes before characters that need to be escaped.
PHP addslashes() Syntax
addslashes(string $string): stringPHP
PHP addslashes() Basic examples
echo addslashes("O'Reilly");PHP
Output:
O\'ReillyEscapes single quotes.
echo addslashes('He said "Hello"');PHP
Output:
He said \"Hello\"Escapes double quotes.
echo addslashes("Backslash \\");PHP
Output:
Backslash \\\\Escapes backslashes.
PHP addslashes() Real-world usage
$input = "John's book";
$safe = addslashes($input);
echo $safe;PHP
Output:
John\'s bookPrepares string for basic storage or logging.
PHP addslashes() Edge cases
echo addslashes("");PHP
Empty string remains empty.
PHP addslashes() Common mistakes
Using addslashes() for SQL protection
addslashes() is NOT safe for SQL injection prevention.
Incorrect
$sql = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = '" . addslashes($name) . "'";Correct
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = ?");Always use prepared statements instead of addslashes().
PHP addslashes() Frequently Asked Questions
What does addslashes() do?
Escapes quotes and special characters.
Use case?
Basic escaping.
Is it safe for SQL?
No, use prepared statements.
Common mistake?
Using for security.
Characters escaped?
Quotes, backslashes, null.
Performance?
Fast.
Alternative?
PDO prepared statements.
Does it modify string?
Returns new string.
Safe?
Not for SQL injection.
Handles UTF-8?
Yes.
Best practice?
Avoid for DB queries.
Used in legacy code?
Yes.