Basic Usage of the iconv Function: How to Efficiently Convert Character Encodings in PHP

gitbox 2025-09-04
<span><span><span class="hljs-meta">&lt;?php</span></span><span>
</span><span><span class="hljs-comment">// This is a PHP code example unrelated to the article content</span></span><span>
</span><span><span class="hljs-function"><span class="hljs-keyword">function</span></span></span><span> </span><span><span class="hljs-title">dummyFunction</span></span><span>(</span><span><span class="hljs-params"></span></span><span>) {
    </span><span><span class="hljs-keyword">return</span></span><span> </span><span><span class="hljs-string">"This code is unrelated to the article content and is for demonstration purposes only."</span></span><span>;
}
</span><span><span class="hljs-keyword">echo</span></span><span> </span><span><span class="hljs-title function_ invoke__">dummyFunction</span></span><span>();
</span><span><span class="hljs-meta">?&gt;</span></span><span>
<p><hr></p>
<p></span><?php<br>
/*<br>
Article Title: Basic Usage of the iconv Function: How to Efficiently Convert Character Encodings in PHP<br>
*/</p>
<p>// In PHP, handling text with different character encodings is a common challenge. The iconv function is a powerful tool provided by PHP to convert strings between different encodings, enhancing program compatibility and stability.</p>
<p>// 1. Introduction to iconv Function<br>
// iconv stands for "Internationalization Conversion". Its core functionality is to convert strings from one character encoding to another.<br>
// The basic syntax is as follows:<br>
/*<br>
string iconv ( string $in_charset , string $out_charset , string $str )<br>
Parameters:<br>
$in_charset  ：Input string encoding<br>
$out_charset ：Output string encoding<br>
$str         ：String to be converted<br>
*/</p>
<p>// 2. Basic Usage Example<br>
$original = "Hello, World!"; // UTF-8 encoding<br>
// Convert UTF-8 to GBK<br>
$converted = iconv("UTF-8", "GBK//IGNORE", $original);<br>
echo "<br>Converted string: ".$converted;</p>
<p>// Note: "//IGNORE" ignores characters that cannot be converted, while "//TRANSLIT" attempts to replace them with approximate characters.</p>
<p>// 3. Common Character Encoding Conversions<br>
// Conversions between UTF-8 and GBK, ISO-8859-1, etc., are most common.<br>
// Example: Convert a GBK string back to UTF-8<br>
$gbkStr = iconv("UTF-8", "GBK//IGNORE", $original);<br>
$utf8Str = iconv("GBK", "UTF-8//IGNORE", $gbkStr);<br>
echo "<br>GBK converted back to UTF-8: ".$utf8Str;</p>
<p>// 4. Efficient Conversion Tips<br>
// (1) Use //IGNORE or //TRANSLIT to prevent errors from stopping the program<br>
// (2) For large texts, use mb_convert_encoding in combination for better performance<br>
/*<br>
Example:<br>
$largeTextUtf8 = "..."; // Large UTF-8 text<br>
$convertedText = mb_convert_encoding($largeTextUtf8, "GBK", "UTF-8");<br>
*/<br>
// (3) For database operations, it’s recommended to use UTF-8 consistently to reduce performance overhead from frequent conversions</p>
<p>// 5. Precautions<br>
// - Input and output encodings must be correctly specified, otherwise garbled text may occur<br>
// - iconv support for some encodings may vary across different systems<br>
// - When displaying on a web page, ensure the page charset matches the output string encoding</p>
<p>// Summary<br>
// The iconv function is a fundamental PHP tool for character encoding conversion. When used correctly, it easily converts between different encodings, improving program internationalization and compatibility. Combined with mbstring functions, it can handle large text conversions efficiently in high-performance scenarios.<br>
?></p>
<p data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""><?php<br>
// Unrelated PHP code at the end of the article<br>
function footerMessage() {<br>
return "End of article content; this PHP code is unrelated to the main text.";<br>
}<br>
echo "<br>".footerMessage();<br>
?><br>
</span>
iconv