Escaping/encoding single quotes in JSON encoded HTML5 data attributes

Question

In PHP, I use json_encode() to echo arrays in HTML5 data attributes. As JSON requires - and json_encode() generates - values encapsulated by double quotes. I therefor wrap my data attributes with single quotes, like:

<article data-tags='["html5","jquery","php","test's"]'>

As you can see, the last tag (test's) contains a single quote, and using json_encode() with no options leads to parsing problems.

So I use json_encode() with the JSON_HEX_APOS parameter, and parsing is fine, as my single quotes are encoded, but I wonder: is there a downside doing it like this?

I mean downside in the meaning of "unexpected side effects that hexadecimal encoding might produce" — Jérémy F.
– Jérémy F., Commented Jan 12, 2012 at 9:24
You have not showed any code how you output something, so an answer could only be a good guess. — hakre
– hakre, Commented Jan 12, 2012 at 9:26
My question is more general than specific: I wonder, in general, what is involved in dealing with hexadecimal encoding. — Jérémy F.
– Jérémy F., Commented Jan 12, 2012 at 9:36
@Jérémy It should work, as in, I can't off the top of my head think of a situation where it would not, but it's really the wrong thing to do. HTML escape any values that may break your HTML syntax, as simple as that. — deceze
– deceze ♦, Commented Jan 12, 2012 at 9:39

deceze · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-12 09:19:36Z

59

You need to HTML escape data echoed into HTML:

printf('<article data-tags="%s">',
    htmlspecialchars(json_encode(array('html5', ...)), ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8'));

answered Jan 12, 2012 at 9:19

deceze♦

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3 Comments

hakre Over a year ago

+1 always use the appropriate encoding in output, the only way to go. Invalid code-points (like \x00 would need hex-encoding according to X(HT)ML specs).

zainengineer Over a year ago

for simplicity htmlspecialchars(json_encode($arrayData), ENT_QUOTES,'UTF-8')

SNS Over a year ago

i json_encode with htmlspecialchars(json_encode($arrayData), ENT_QUOTES,'UTF-8') how to decode?

Picard · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-14 13:44:17Z

13

or use the build-in option:

json_encode(array('html5', ...), JSON_HEX_APOS)

you can check it up in the manual: http://php.net/manual/en/json.constants.php#constant.json-hex-apos

answered Dec 14, 2016 at 13:44

Picard

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1 Comment

Paul Etienney Over a year ago

Thank you very much. I did not know this option. It worked very well.

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