What are the advantages of using htmlspecialchars() function in PHP output?
When outputting user-generated content in PHP, it is important to sanitize the data to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. One way to do this is by using the htmlspecialchars() function, which converts special characters like < and > into their HTML entities, preventing them from being interpreted as code by the browser. This helps to ensure that the content is displayed as intended without compromising the security of the website.
<?php
$user_input = "<script>alert('XSS attack');</script>";
echo htmlspecialchars($user_input);
?>
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