In what situations should PHP developers avoid using certain devices like iPads for coding to prevent issues with special characters or forum formatting?

When coding in PHP, developers should avoid using devices like iPads for coding to prevent issues with special characters or forum formatting. This is because iPads may not have the necessary keyboard shortcuts or character encoding support that is crucial for PHP development. To ensure smooth coding experience, it is recommended to use a desktop or laptop with a full keyboard and proper encoding support.

// Example PHP code snippet to handle special characters encoding
$text = "Special character: é";
$encoded_text = htmlentities($text, ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8');
echo $encoded_text;