How to decode a URL-encoded string?

Question

I am working on a PayPal Subscription IPN. The custom variable I send to PayPal looks like this:

5|3

When PayPal send this back to me, it is urlencoded and looks like this:

5%7C3

If I want to use the explode function, can I do the following?

$custom = $_POST['custom'];
if(isset($custom))
{
    list($id_1, $id_2) = explode('|', $custom);
}

or like this?

$custom = $_POST['custom'];
if(isset($custom))
{
    list($id_1, $id_2) = explode('%7C', $custom);
}

How can I do this properly?

If everything is being sent back encoded, run urldecode() on them before exploding. — BoltClock
– BoltClock, Commented Mar 9, 2011 at 5:27

Toby Allen · Accepted Answer · 2025-03-09 10:40:04Z

1

You can use this method

$output = explode('|', urldecode($_POST['custom']));

edited Mar 9 at 10:40

Toby Allen

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answered Mar 9, 2011 at 5:29

xkeshav

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1 Comment

saburius Over a year ago

you mean I don't have to urldecode it? PHP does it automatically? oops, never mind I did not read it right.

Bhanu Prakash Pandey · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-09 05:29:14Z

0

Try to use urldecode

echo urldecode('5%7C3');

and after this use explode function.

answered Mar 9, 2011 at 5:29

Bhanu Prakash Pandey

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Comments

Kavi Siegel · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-09 05:29:17Z

0

You can pass it through urldecode() first, then explode it by the absolute value delimiter

$custom = urldecode($_POST['custom']);
if($custom!="")
{
list($id_1, $id_2) = explode('|', $custom);
}

answered Mar 9, 2011 at 5:29

Kavi Siegel

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