# mysqli_real_escape_string

# mysqli->real_escape_string()

(PHP 5)

mysqli->real_escape_string() — Escapes special characters in a string for use in a SQL statement, taking into account the current charset of the connection

### Description

Procedural style:

string mysqli_real_escape_string ( mysqli `$link` , string `$escapestr` )

Object oriented style (both methods are equivalent):

mysqli
string escape_string ( string `$escapestr` )
string real_escape_string ( string `$escapestr` )

This function is used to create a legal SQL string that you can use in an SQL statement. The given string is encoded to an escaped SQL string, taking into account the current character set of the connection.

### Parameters

`link`

  Procedural style only: A link identifier returned by mysqli_connect() or mysqli_init()

`escapestr`

  The string to be escaped.

  Characters encoded are NUL (ASCII 0), \n, \r, \, ', ", and Control-Z.

### Return Values

Returns an escaped string.

### Examples

Example#1 Object oriented style

`<?php
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "my_user", "my_password", "world");
/* check connection */
if (mysqli_connect_errno()) {
printf("Connect failed: %s\n", mysqli_connect_error());
exit();
}
$mysqli->query("CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE myCity LIKE City");
$city = "'s Hertogenbosch";
/* this query will fail, cause we didn't escape $city */
if (!$mysqli->query("INSERT into myCity (Name) VALUES ('$city')")) {
printf("Error: %s\n", $mysqli->sqlstate);
}
$city = $mysqli->real_escape_string($city);
/* this query with escaped $city will work */
if ($mysqli->query("INSERT into myCity (Name) VALUES ('$city')")) {
printf("%d Row inserted.\n", $mysqli->affected_rows);
}
$mysqli->close();
?>`

Example#2 Procedural style

`<?php
$link = mysqli_connect("localhost", "my_user", "my_password", "world");
/* check connection */
if (mysqli_connect_errno()) {
printf("Connect failed: %s\n", mysqli_connect_error());
exit();
}
mysqli_query($link, "CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE myCity LIKE City");
$city = "'s Hertogenbosch";
/* this query will fail, cause we didn't escape $city */
if (!mysqli_query($link, "INSERT into myCity (Name) VALUES ('$city')")) {
printf("Error: %s\n", mysqli_sqlstate($link));
}
$city = mysqli_real_escape_string($link, $city);
/* this query with escaped $city will work */
if (mysqli_query($link, "INSERT into myCity (Name) VALUES ('$city')")) {
printf("%d Row inserted.\n", mysqli_affected_rows($link));
}
mysqli_close($link);
?>`

The above example will output:

    Error: 42000
    1 Row inserted.

### See Also

- mysqli_character_set_name()