How can PHP developers ensure that their code is properly encoding and decoding special characters for web display?

Special characters in PHP code need to be properly encoded and decoded to ensure they are displayed correctly on the web. To achieve this, PHP developers can use functions like `htmlspecialchars()` to encode special characters before displaying them on a webpage, and `htmlspecialchars_decode()` to decode them back when needed. By using these functions, developers can prevent security vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting attacks and ensure that their web content is displayed accurately.

// Encoding special characters before displaying on a webpage
$encoded_string = htmlspecialchars($string, ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8');

// Decoding special characters when needed
$decoded_string = htmlspecialchars_decode($encoded_string, ENT_QUOTES);