Alternative to base64_encode
<p>Are there any other encoding functions other than base64_encode for encoding text in PHP? </p>

<p>Edit: The purpose of the encoding functions:</p>

<p>To generate a string that can be used in a URL that can be used as an identifier.</p>

<p>For example, instead of <a href="http://www.something.com/?id=4&amp;category=books&amp;type=20" rel="nofollow">http://www.something.com/?id=4&amp;category=books&amp;type=20</a></p>

<p>I would like to have:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.something.com/?q=a3444aAbt3daj492klsj" rel="nofollow">http://www.something.com/?q=a3444aAbt3daj492klsj</a> </p>

<p>So to get the variables one has to decode the only query string which is a hash.</p>
