function clean($string) {
$string = str_replace(' ', '-', $string); // Replaces all spaces with hyphens.
return preg_replace('/[^A-Za-z0-9\-]/', '', $string); // Removes special chars.
}<?php
$string = 'foo';
if (preg_match('/[\'^£$%&*()}{@#~?><>,|=_+¬-]/', $string))
{
// one or more of the 'special characters' found in $string
}
/* EXAMPLE: <p>Bed & Breakfast</p> --> <p>Bed & Breakfast</p>
& &
" " (unless ENT_NOQUOTES is set)
' ' or ' (ENT_QUOTES must be set)
< <
> > */
<?php
$new = htmlspecialchars("<a href='test'>Test</a>", ENT_QUOTES);
echo $new; // <a href='test'>Test</a>
?>$string = "This is testing message "ETC" ";
htmlspecialchars($string, ENT_COMPAT)