Description
string utf8_encode (string data)
This function encodes the string data to
UTF-8, and returns the encoded version.
UTF-8 is a standard mechanism used by
Unicodefor encoding wide
character values into a byte stream.
UTF-8 is transparent to plain
ASCII characters, is self-synchronized (meaning
it is possible for a program to figure out where in the
bytestream characters start) and can be used with normal string
comparison functions for sorting and such. PHP encodes
UTF-8 characters in up to four bytes, like
this:
Table 1. UTF-8 encoding
| bytes | bits | representation |
|---|
| 1 | 7 | 0bbbbbbb |
| 2 | 11 | 110bbbbb 10bbbbbb |
| 3 | 16 | 1110bbbb 10bbbbbb 10bbbbbb |
| 4 | 21 | 11110bbb 10bbbbbb 10bbbbbb 10bbbbbb |
Each
b represents a bit that can be
used to store character data.
