utf8_decode

Converts a string from UTF-8 to ISO-8859-1, replacing invalid or unrepresentable characters

&warn.deprecated.function-8-2-0;
&reftitle.description; `string` `utf8_decode` `string` `string`

This function converts the string `string` from the `UTF-8` encoding to `ISO-8859-1`. Bytes in the string which are not valid `UTF-8`, and `UTF-8` characters which do not exist in `ISO-8859-1` (that is, code points above `U+00FF`) are replaced with `?`.

Many web pages marked as using the `ISO-8859-1` character encoding actually use the similar `Windows-1252` encoding, and web browsers will interpret `ISO-8859-1` web pages as `Windows-1252`. `Windows-1252` features additional printable characters, such as the Euro sign (`€`) and curly quotes (`“` `”`), instead of certain `ISO-8859-1` control characters. This function will not convert such `Windows-1252` characters correctly. Use a different function if `Windows-1252` conversion is required.

&reftitle.parameters;

`string`

- A UTF-8 encoded string.

&reftitle.returnvalues;

Returns the ISO-8859-1 translation of `string`.

&reftitle.changelog;

&Version; | &Description;
8.2.0 | This function has been deprecated.
7.2.0 | This function has been moved from the XML extension to the core of PHP. In previous versions, it was only available if the XML extension was installed.

&reftitle.examples;

### Basic examples

    <?php
    // Convert the string 'Zoë' from UTF-8 to ISO 8859-1
    $utf8_string = "\x5A\x6F\xC3\xAB";
    $iso8859_1_string = utf8_decode($utf8_string);
    echo bin2hex($iso8859_1_string), "\n";

    // Invalid UTF-8 sequences are replaced with '?'
    $invalid_utf8_string = "\xC3";
    $iso8859_1_string = utf8_decode($invalid_utf8_string);
    var_dump($iso8859_1_string);

    // Characters which don't exist in ISO 8859-1, such as
    // '€' (Euro Sign) are also replaced with '?'
    $utf8_string = "\xE2\x82\xAC";
    $iso8859_1_string = utf8_decode($utf8_string);
    var_dump($iso8859_1_string);
    ?>

&example.outputs;

    5a6feb
    string(1) "?"
    string(1) "?"

&reftitle.notes;

### Deprecation and alternatives

This function is deprecated as of PHP 8.2.0, and will be removed in a future version. Existing uses should be checked and replaced with appropriate alternatives.

Similar functionality can be achieved with `mb_convert_encoding`, which supports ISO-8859-1 and many other character encodings.

    <?php
    $utf8_string = "\xC3\xAB"; // 'ë' (e with diaeresis) in UTF-8
    $iso8859_1_string = mb_convert_encoding($utf8_string, 'ISO-8859-1', 'UTF-8');
    echo bin2hex($iso8859_1_string), "\n";

    $utf8_string = "\xCE\xBB"; // 'λ' (Greek lower-case lambda) in UTF-8
    $iso8859_7_string = mb_convert_encoding($utf8_string, 'ISO-8859-7', 'UTF-8');
    echo bin2hex($iso8859_7_string), "\n";

    $utf8_string = "\xE2\x82\xAC"; // '€' (Euro sign) in UTF-8 (not present in ISO-8859-1)
    $windows_1252_string = mb_convert_encoding($utf8_string, 'Windows-1252', 'UTF-8');
    echo bin2hex($windows_1252_string), "\n";
    ?>

&example.outputs;

    eb
    eb
    80

Other options which may be available depending on the extensions installed are `UConverter::transcode` and `iconv`.

The following all give the same result:

    <?php
    $utf8_string = "\x5A\x6F\xC3\xAB"; // 'Zoë' in UTF-8
    $iso8859_1_string = utf8_decode($utf8_string);
    echo bin2hex($iso8859_1_string), "\n";

    $iso8859_1_string = mb_convert_encoding($utf8_string, 'ISO-8859-1', 'UTF-8');
    echo bin2hex($iso8859_1_string), "\n";

    $iso8859_1_string = iconv('UTF-8', 'ISO-8859-1', $utf8_string);
    echo bin2hex($iso8859_1_string), "\n";

    $iso8859_1_string = UConverter::transcode($utf8_string, 'ISO-8859-1', 'UTF8');
    echo bin2hex($iso8859_1_string), "\n";
    ?>

&example.outputs;

    5a6feb
    5a6feb
    5a6feb
    5a6feb

Specifying `'?'` as the `'to_subst'` option to `UConverter::transcode` gives the same result as `utf8_decode` for strings which are invalid or which can not be represented in ISO 8859-1.

    <?php
    $utf8_string = "\xE2\x82\xAC"; // € (Euro Sign) does not exist in ISO 8859-1
    $iso8859_1_string = UConverter::transcode(
        $utf8_string, 'ISO-8859-1', 'UTF-8', ['to_subst' => '?']
    );
    var_dump($iso8859_1_string);
    ?>

&example.outputs;

    sring(1) "?"

&reftitle.seealso;

- `utf8_encode`
- `mb_convert_encoding`
- `UConverter::transcode`
- `iconv`