How can one ensure consistency and clarity in the use of htmlentities() in PHP functions?

To ensure consistency and clarity in the use of htmlentities() in PHP functions, it is important to always use the function whenever outputting user-generated content to prevent cross-site scripting attacks. It is also recommended to consistently use the same set of options for htmlentities() to maintain uniformity in encoding. Additionally, documenting the use of htmlentities() in the codebase can help developers understand its purpose and usage. 

// Example of ensuring consistency and clarity in using htmlentities()

// Function to output user-generated content with htmlentities()
function outputUserContent($content) {
    return htmlentities($content, ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8');
}

// Usage example
$userInput = "<script>alert('XSS attack!');</script>";
echo outputUserContent($userInput);

Keywords

htmlentities PHP functions consistency clarity encoding

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