PHP Convert Unicode to text - php

Question

I am receiving from a form the following urlencoded string %F0%9D%90%B4%F0%9D%91%99%F0%9D%91%92%F0%9D%91%97%F0%9D%91%8E%F0%9D%91%9B%F0%9D%91%91%F0%9D%91%9F%F0%9D%91%8E
If I decode it I get the following formatted text: 𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑗𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑎
Is there any way with PHP to get the plain "Alejandra" text from the encoded or decoded string?
I have tried without success several ways to do it with
mb_convert_encoding($string, "UTF-16",mb_detect_encoding($string))
iconv('utf-16', 'utf-8', rawurldecode($string)
and any other solution I could in stackoverflow.
Edit:
I tried the proposed solution $strAscii = iconv('UTF-8','ASCII//TRANSLIT',$str); but it deletes the special characters such as áéíóúñç which we need to stay.
Expected result
input: 𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑗𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑎
output: Alejandra
input: Álejandra
output: Álejandra
Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

urldecode or rawurldecode is sufficient.
$string = "%F0%9D%90%B4%F0%9D%91%99%F0%9D%91%92%F0%9D%91%97%F0%9D%91%8E%F0%9D%91%9B%F0%9D%91%91%F0%9D%91%9F%F0%9D%91%8E";
$str = urldecode($string);
var_dump($str);
//string(36) "𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑗𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑎"
Demo: https://3v4l.org/OMQ35
A special debugger gives me: string(36) UTF-8mb4. This means that there are also UTF-8 characters in the string that require 4 bytes. The character A is the Unicode character “𝐴” (U+1D434).
Note:
If the special UTF-8 characters cause problems, you can try to display the strings as ASCII characters with iconv.
$strAscii = iconv('UTF-8','ASCII//TRANSLIT',$str);
//string(9) "Alejandra"

Answer 2

What you are getting is called a "psuedo-alphabet", you can see a list of them here: https://qaz.wtf/u/convert.cgi. The one that you appear to be getting can be seen here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematical_Alphanumeric_Symbols
Basically what you need to do is take the string, split it and use a lookup table to convert it back to regular characters. This implementation is terribly efficient but that's because I grabbed the alphabets from the above Wikipedia page and was too lazy to reorganise it.
function math_symbols_to_plain_text($input, $alphabet)
{
$alphabets = [
['a','𝐚','𝑎','𝒂','𝖺','𝗮','𝘢','𝙖','𝒶','𝓪','𝔞','𝖆','𝚊','𝕒'],
['b','𝐛','𝑏','𝒃','𝖻','𝗯','𝘣','𝙗','𝒷','𝓫','𝔟','𝖇','𝚋','𝕓'],
['c','𝐜','𝑐','𝒄','𝖼','𝗰','𝘤','𝙘','𝒸','𝓬','𝔠','𝖈','𝚌','𝕔'],
['d','𝐝','𝑑','𝒅','𝖽','𝗱','𝘥','𝙙','𝒹','𝓭','𝔡','𝖉','𝚍','𝕕'],
['e','𝐞','𝑒','𝒆','𝖾','𝗲','𝘦','𝙚','ℯ','𝓮','𝔢','𝖊','𝚎','𝕖'],
['f','𝐟','𝑓','𝒇','𝖿','𝗳','𝘧','𝙛','𝒻','𝓯','𝔣','𝖋','𝚏','𝕗'],
['g','𝐠','𝑔','𝒈','𝗀','𝗴','𝘨','𝙜','ℊ','𝓰','𝔤','𝖌','𝚐','𝕘'],
['h','𝐡','ℎ','𝒉','𝗁','𝗵','𝘩','𝙝','𝒽','𝓱','𝔥','𝖍','𝚑','𝕙'],
['i','𝐢','𝑖','𝒊','𝗂','𝗶','𝘪','𝙞','𝒾','𝓲','𝔦','𝖎','𝚒','𝕚'],
['j','𝐣','𝑗','𝒋','𝗃','𝗷','𝘫','𝙟','𝒿','𝓳','𝔧','𝖏','𝚓','𝕛'],
['k','𝐤','𝑘','𝒌','𝗄','𝗸','𝘬','𝙠','𝓀','𝓴','𝔨','𝖐','𝚔','𝕜'],
['l','𝐥','𝑙','𝒍','𝗅','𝗹','𝘭','𝙡','𝓁','𝓵','𝔩','𝖑','𝚕','𝕝'],
['m','𝐦','𝑚','𝒎','𝗆','𝗺','𝘮','𝙢','𝓂','𝓶','𝔪','𝖒','𝚖','𝕞'],
['n','𝐧','𝑛','𝒏','𝗇','𝗻','𝘯','𝙣','𝓃','𝓷','𝔫','𝖓','𝚗','𝕟'],
['o','𝐨','𝑜','𝒐','𝗈','𝗼','𝘰','𝙤','ℴ','𝓸','𝔬','𝖔','𝚘','𝕠'],
['p','𝐩','𝑝','𝒑','𝗉','𝗽','𝘱','𝙥','𝓅','𝓹','𝔭','𝖕','𝚙','𝕡'],
['q','𝐪','𝑞','𝒒','𝗊','𝗾','𝘲','𝙦','𝓆','𝓺','𝔮','𝖖','𝚚','𝕢'],
['r','𝐫','𝑟','𝒓','𝗋','𝗿','𝘳','𝙧','𝓇','𝓻','𝔯','𝖗','𝚛','𝕣'],
['s','𝐬','𝑠','𝒔','𝗌','𝘀','𝘴','𝙨','𝓈','𝓼','𝔰','𝖘','𝚜','𝕤'],
['t','𝐭','𝑡','𝒕','𝗍','𝘁','𝘵','𝙩','𝓉','𝓽','𝔱','𝖙','𝚝','𝕥'],
['u','𝐮','𝑢','𝒖','𝗎','𝘂','𝘶','𝙪','𝓊','𝓾','𝔲','𝖚','𝚞','𝕦'],
['v','𝐯','𝑣','𝒗','𝗏','𝘃','𝘷','𝙫','𝓋','𝓿','𝔳','𝖛','𝚟','𝕧'],
['w','𝐰','𝑤','𝒘','𝗐','𝘄','𝘸','𝙬','𝓌','𝔀','𝔴','𝖜','𝚠','𝕨'],
['x','𝐱','𝑥','𝒙','𝗑','𝘅','𝘹','𝙭','𝓍','𝔁','𝔵','𝖝','𝚡','𝕩'],
['y','𝐲','𝑦','𝒚','𝗒','𝘆','𝘺','𝙮','𝓎','𝔂','𝔶','𝖞','𝚢','𝕪'],
['z','𝐳','𝑧','𝒛','𝗓','𝘇','𝘻','𝙯','𝓏','𝔃','𝔷','𝖟','𝚣','𝕫'],
['A','𝐀','𝐴','𝑨','𝖠','𝗔','𝘈','𝘼','𝒜','𝓐','𝔄','𝕬','𝙰','𝔸'],
['B','𝐁','𝐵','𝑩','𝖡','𝗕','𝘉','𝘽','ℬ','𝓑','𝔅','𝕭','𝙱','𝔹'],
['C','𝐂','𝐶','𝑪','𝖢','𝗖','𝘊','𝘾','𝒞','𝓒','ℭ','𝕮','𝙲','ℂ'],
['D','𝐃','𝐷','𝑫','𝖣','𝗗','𝘋','𝘿','𝒟','𝓓','𝔇','𝕯','𝙳','𝔻'],
['E','𝐄','𝐸','𝑬','𝖤','𝗘','𝘌','𝙀','ℰ','𝓔','𝔈','𝕰','𝙴','𝔼'],
['F','𝐅','𝐹','𝑭','𝖥','𝗙','𝘍','𝙁','ℱ','𝓕','𝔉','𝕱','𝙵','𝔽'],
['G','𝐆','𝐺','𝑮','𝖦','𝗚','𝘎','𝙂','𝒢','𝓖','𝔊','𝕲','𝙶','𝔾'],
['H','𝐇','𝐻','𝑯','𝖧','𝗛','𝘏','𝙃','ℋ','𝓗','ℌ','𝕳','𝙷','ℍ'],
['I','𝐈','𝐼','𝑰','𝖨','𝗜','𝘐','𝙄','ℐ','𝓘','ℑ','𝕴','𝙸','𝕀'],
['J','𝐉','𝐽','𝑱','𝖩','𝗝','𝘑','𝙅','𝒥','𝓙','𝔍','𝕵','𝙹','𝕁'],
['K','𝐊','𝐾','𝑲','𝖪','𝗞','𝘒','𝙆','𝒦','𝓚','𝔎','𝕶','𝙺','𝕂'],
['L','𝐋','𝐿','𝑳','𝖫','𝗟','𝘓','𝙇','ℒ','𝓛','𝔏','𝕷','𝙻','𝕃'],
['M','𝐌','𝑀','𝑴','𝖬','𝗠','𝘔','𝙈','ℳ','𝓜','𝔐','𝕸','𝙼','𝕄'],
['N','𝐍','𝑁','𝑵','𝖭','𝗡','𝘕','𝙉','𝒩','𝓝','𝔑','𝕹','𝙽','ℕ'],
['O','𝐎','𝑂','𝑶','𝖮','𝗢','𝘖','𝙊','𝒪','𝓞','𝔒','𝕺','𝙾','𝕆'],
['P','𝐏','𝑃','𝑷','𝖯','𝗣','𝘗','𝙋','𝒫','𝓟','𝔓','𝕻','𝙿','ℙ'],
['Q','𝐐','𝑄','𝑸','𝖰','𝗤','𝘘','𝙌','𝒬','𝓠','𝔔','𝕼','𝚀','ℚ'],
['R','𝐑','𝑅','𝑹','𝖱','𝗥','𝘙','𝙍','ℛ','𝓡','ℜ','𝕽','𝚁','ℝ'],
['S','𝐒','𝑆','𝑺','𝖲','𝗦','𝘚','𝙎','𝒮','𝓢','𝔖','𝕾','𝚂','𝕊'],
['T','𝐓','𝑇','𝑻','𝖳','𝗧','𝘛','𝙏','𝒯','𝓣','𝔗','𝕿','𝚃','𝕋'],
['U','𝐔','𝑈','𝑼','𝖴','𝗨','𝘜','𝙐','𝒰','𝓤','𝔘','𝖀','𝚄','𝕌'],
['V','𝐕','𝑉','𝑽','𝖵','𝗩','𝘝','𝙑','𝒱','𝓥','𝔙','𝖁','𝚅','𝕍'],
['W','𝐖','𝑊','𝑾','𝖶','𝗪','𝘞','𝙒','𝒲','𝓦','𝔚','𝖂','𝚆','𝕎'],
['X','𝐗','𝑋','𝑿','𝖷','𝗫','𝘟','𝙓','𝒳','𝓧','𝔛','𝖃','𝚇','𝕏'],
['Y','𝐘','𝑌','𝒀','𝖸','𝗬','𝘠','𝙔','𝒴','𝓨','𝔜','𝖄','𝚈','𝕐'],
['Z','𝐙','𝑍','𝒁','𝖹','𝗭','𝘡','𝙕','𝒵','𝓩','ℨ','𝖅','𝚉','ℤ']
];
$replace = ['a','b','c','d','e','f','g','h','i','j','k','l','m','n','o','p','q','r','s','t','u','v','w','x','y','z','A','B','C','D','E','F','G','H','I','J','K','L','M','N','O','P','Q','R','S','T','U','V','W','X','Y','Z'];
$lookup = [
'serif-normal',
'serif-bold',
'serif-italic',
'serif-bolditalic',
'sans-normal',
'sans-bold',
'sans-italic',
'sans-bolditalic',
'script-normal',
'script-bold',
'franktur-normal',
'fraktur-bold',
'monospace',
'doublestruck'
];
$map_index = array_search($alphabet, $lookup);
$split = mb_str_split($input);
$output = '';
foreach ($split as $char) {
foreach ($alphabets as $i => $letter) {
if ($letter[$map_index] === $char)
$output .= $replace[$i];
}
}
return $output;
}
$input = '𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑗𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑎';
$output = math_symbols_to_plain_text($input, 'serif-italic');
echo $input . PHP_EOL . $output . PHP_EOL;
Yields:
𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑗𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑎
Alejandra

Answer 3

If I am not wrong, you are trying to decode URL then why you are not trying to use urldecode()
follow this .PHP DOC