htmlspecialchars utf-8 returns empty string
htmlspecialchars, mysql, php, utf-8
Solution
Your code uses `htmlspecialchars($string, ENT_QUOTES, 'utf-8')`. Quoting from the manpage
If the input string contains an invalid code unit sequence within the given encoding an empty string will be returned, unless either the ENT_IGNORE or ENT_SUBSTITUTE flags are set.
Use e.g. `htmlspecialchars($string, ENT_QUOTES | ENT_SUBSTITUTE, 'utf-8')` as a quick workaround.
If invalid input is indeed your problem, of course, you should find out why `utf8_substr($row['texto'], 0, 100)` does not return a valid UTF-8 string in the first place.
Problem
I'm doing a .php RSS generator and I have a problem trying to get data from my database in this line: ``` <description><![CDATA[<?=htmlspecialchars(utf8_substr($row['texto'], 0, 100), ENT_QUOTES, 'utf-8') ?>...]]></description> ``` Some entries show just fine, and others wont return any text... Any idea on what could be wrong? This is all the code: ``` <?php require('php/config.php'); require('php/db.php'); require('php/utils.php'); header("Content-type: application/xml"); $db = new TSQL('SELECT * FROM entradas WHERE estado = 1 ORDER BY fecha DESC LIMIT 20'); if ( $db->executeQuery() ) { ?><?='<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>' ?> <rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"> <channel> <title>Tu Secreto</title> <link>http://www.tusecreto.com.ar/</link> <description>TuSecreto / No se lo cuentes a nadie, contaselo a todos</description> <language>es-ar</language> <copyright>TuSecreto (C) 2005-<?php print strftime("%Y", time()); ?></copyright> <lastBuildDate><?=strftime("%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S ", $row['fecha']) ?></lastBuildDate> <atom:link href="http://www.tusecreto.com.ar/rss.php" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <docs>http://www.tusecreto.com.ar/rss.php</docs> <generator>TuSecreto RSS Generator v1.0</generator> <ttl>10</ttl> <? while ($row = $db->getRow(MYSQL_ASSOC)) { ?> <item> <title><?=($row['sexo'] == MUJER)?'Mujer':'Hombre' ?> | <?=$row['edad'] ?> <?="A\xC3\xB1os" ?></title> <description><![CDATA[<?=htmlspecialchars(utf8_substr($row['texto'], 0, 100), ENT_QUOTES, 'utf-8') ?>...]]></description> <link>http://www.tusecreto.com.ar/<?=$row['id'] ?></link> <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tusecreto.com.ar/<?=$row['id'] ?></guid> <pubDate><?=strftime("%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S ", $row['fecha']) ?></pubDate> </item> <?php } ?> </channel> </rss> ``` This is one result that returns an empty string: una vez en el colectivo (sentada en el asiento individual) me dormí y cuando doblo me caí en el pasillo re mal! se mataron de la risa todos!! hasta el colectivero! Pasalo y comento con mi Facebook. E.P.