How can PHP automatically handle encoded characters like %26 and %3D in URL parameters?

When PHP receives URL parameters with encoded characters like %26 (representing &) and %3D (representing =), it can automatically handle them by using the built-in function urldecode(). This function decodes any URL encoded characters in a string, allowing PHP to properly process the parameters.

// Example URL parameter with encoded characters
$url_param = "name=John%26Doe%3D";

// Decode the URL parameter using urldecode()
$decoded_param = urldecode($url_param);

// Output the decoded parameter
echo $decoded_param;