PHP urldecode() Function
Quick summary: The PHP urldecode() function decodes URL-encoded strings.
PHP urldecode() Syntax
urldecode(string $string): stringPHP
PHP urldecode() Basic examples
var_dump(urldecode('hello+world'));PHP
Output:
string(11) "hello world"Decodes plus signs into spaces.
PHP urldecode() Real-world usage
$query = 'page%3D1%26sort%3Dasc';
var_dump(urldecode($query));PHP
Output:
string(15) "page=1&sort=asc"Decodes query parameters.
PHP urldecode() Edge cases
var_dump(urldecode('%ZZ'));PHP
Output:
string(3) "%ZZ"Invalid encoding is left unchanged.
PHP urldecode() Common mistakes
Decoding rawurlencode output
urldecode expects + for spaces.
Incorrect
urldecode(rawurlencode('a b'));Correct
rawurldecode(rawurlencode('a b'));Match encode/decode pairs.
PHP urldecode() Frequently Asked Questions
What does urldecode() do in PHP?
urldecode() decodes URL-encoded strings back to their original form.
Does urldecode() convert + to space?
Yes, + is converted to a space.
Is urldecode() reversible?
Yes, with urlencode().
Use case of urldecode()?
Decoding query parameters.
Difference from rawurldecode()?
urldecode converts + to space, rawurldecode does not.
Does it modify original string?
No.
Handles UTF-8?
Yes.
Common mistake?
Using wrong decode function.
Can decode full URL?
Yes, but be careful with reserved characters.
Performance?
Fast.
Used in forms?
Yes.
Alternative?
rawurldecode().