title: How to get special characters in URL variables to output correctly using PHP and GET
body: <p>I've an issue I've just encountered (once the web app is already up and running for a week!) and I can't seem to solve it, and I'm sort of rushing through it in order to fix it before it continues malfunctioning.</p>
  
  <p>I've coded a neat little Christmas card for a business and the user inputs his/her name and the name of someone else and then sends it, so the card says <em>TO: JOHN, FROM: PAUL</em>, basically.</p>
  
  <p>This info is sent via URL vars and then, of course, I use <code>GET</code> to retrieve it and output the message.</p>
  
  <p>Of course, it's a card one can use from anyone and to anyone... but I tested it only in English (my bad). So when the first Martín or Sören comes around and uses the card, they get <strong>From: Martã­n</strong>, <strong>From: Sã¶ren</strong>...</p>
  
  <p>Obviously, that doesn't work.</p>
  
  <p>So I'm guessing I need to find a way either to transform the special character from the input field into the URL or from the URL to the output message. (While we're on the subject: which would you recommend?)</p>
  
  <p>However, I can't get it to work. I've tried finding which character codes work when sent through the URL. </p>
  
  <p>I've noticed URLs usually substitute certain characters and especially white spaces with a % and something else (a coding method whose name I don't know; can anyone enlighten me on that, please?). But when I try <code>%C3%AD</code>, which, according to a website I found, is the code for <strong>í</strong>, as in my example <strong>Martín</strong>, I continue to get the ã­, as these codes in the URL are automatically changed to their special character.</p>
  
  <p>I've also tried <code>&amp;iacute;</code>, <code>&amp;#237;</code> but to no avail!</p>