(PHP 5, PHP 7, PHP 8)
mysqli::real_escape_string -- mysqli_real_escape_string — Escapes special characters in a string for use in an SQL statement, taking into account the current charset of the connection
Object-oriented style
Procedural style
This function is used to create a legal SQL string that you can use in an SQL statement. The given string is encoded to produce an escaped SQL string, taking into account the current character set of the connection.
The character set must be set either at the server level, or with the API function mysqli_set_charset() for it to affect mysqli_real_escape_string(). See the concepts section on character sets for more information.
This function does not add quotes around the result; they must be added
by the caller. If the NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES SQL mode is
enabled on the connection, only the single quote
(') is escaped, so a value placed between double quotes
(") can terminate the string and allow SQL injection.
Use prepared
statements instead. If that is not possible, use
mysqli::quote_string(), which always wraps the
result in single quotes.
mysqlProcedural style only: A mysqli object returned by mysqli_connect() or mysqli_init()
stringThe string to be escaped.
Characters encoded are NUL (ASCII 0),
\n, \r, \,
', ", and
CTRL+Z.
If the NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES SQL mode is enabled on
the connection, only ' is encoded, by doubling it.
Returns an escaped string.
Example #1 mysqli::real_escape_string() example
Object-oriented style
<?php
mysqli_report(MYSQLI_REPORT_ERROR | MYSQLI_REPORT_STRICT);
$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "my_user", "my_password", "world");
$city = "'s-Hertogenbosch";
/* this query with escaped $city will work */
$query = sprintf("SELECT CountryCode FROM City WHERE name='%s'",
$mysqli->real_escape_string($city));
$result = $mysqli->query($query);
printf("Select returned %d rows.\n", $result->num_rows);
/* this query will fail, because we didn't escape $city */
$query = sprintf("SELECT CountryCode FROM City WHERE name='%s'", $city);
$result = $mysqli->query($query);Procedural style
<?php
mysqli_report(MYSQLI_REPORT_ERROR | MYSQLI_REPORT_STRICT);
$mysqli = mysqli_connect("localhost", "my_user", "my_password", "world");
$city = "'s-Hertogenbosch";
/* this query with escaped $city will work */
$query = sprintf("SELECT CountryCode FROM City WHERE name='%s'",
mysqli_real_escape_string($mysqli, $city));
$result = mysqli_query($mysqli, $query);
printf("Select returned %d rows.\n", mysqli_num_rows($result));
/* this query will fail, because we didn't escape $city */
$query = sprintf("SELECT CountryCode FROM City WHERE name='%s'", $city);
$result = mysqli_query($mysqli, $query);The above examples will output something similar to:
Select returned 1 rows. Fatal error: Uncaught mysqli_sql_exception: You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 's-Hertogenbosch'' at line 1 in...