How can context switching and data sanitization functions like urlencode(), http_build_query(), and htmlspecialchars() be utilized to improve the security and robustness of PHP applications?

Issue: Context switching and data sanitization are crucial for improving the security and robustness of PHP applications. Functions like urlencode(), http_build_query(), and htmlspecialchars() help protect against injection attacks, cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities, and data corruption. 

// Example of utilizing urlencode() to sanitize data before sending it in a URL
$data = "Hello World!";
$sanitized_data = urlencode($data);
echo "Sanitized data: " . $sanitized_data;
```

```php
// Example of utilizing http_build_query() to sanitize an array before sending it in a URL
$data = array('name' => 'John Doe', 'age' => 30);
$sanitized_data = http_build_query($data);
echo "Sanitized data: " . $sanitized_data;
```

```php
// Example of utilizing htmlspecialchars() to sanitize data before displaying it in HTML
$data = "<script>alert('XSS attack!');</script>";
$sanitized_data = htmlspecialchars($data);
echo "Sanitized data: " . $sanitized_data;

Keywords

context switching data sanitization urlencode() http_build_query() htmlspecialchars()

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