Are there any performance considerations when using functions like htmlentities() in PHP to handle special characters?

When using functions like htmlentities() in PHP to handle special characters, there may be performance considerations to keep in mind. These functions can be resource-intensive, especially when processing large amounts of data or when used frequently. To optimize performance, consider using these functions only when necessary and avoid unnecessary processing.

// Example of using htmlentities() function to handle special characters
$input = "<script>alert('Hello!');</script>";
$encoded_input = htmlentities($input);
echo $encoded_input;