Is it recommended to use a pre-existing library for encoding functions in PHP, rather than writing custom code?

It is generally recommended to use a pre-existing library for encoding functions in PHP rather than writing custom code, as these libraries are often well-tested, secure, and optimized for performance. Using a library can also save time and effort in development.

// Example of using the htmlspecialchars function, a built-in PHP function for encoding HTML entities
$text = "<script>alert('XSS attack');</script>";
$encoded_text = htmlspecialchars($text);
echo $encoded_text;