MYSQL replacing Microsoft Word quotes with junk characters

[dgruetter]

Hi, I am new to this board.

 

I have a problem when inserting text into a mysql database from a text box. When the test gets inserted into the table It is turning any Microsoft quotes into junk characters.

 

I have created a few helper functions: clean_string, mysql_prep to prepare the clean and prepare the code to be inserted but I am afraid It might be hurting rather than fixing it.

 

 

Here is a snippit:

 

<?php print "<input name=\"vendor_info\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"".htmlspecialchars($vendor_info)."\">"; ?>

function mysql_prep( $value ) {

$magic_quotes_active = get_magic_quotes_gpc();
$new_enough_php = function_exists( "mysql_real_escape_string" );

if ( $new_enough_php ) {
	//undo effects of magic quotes
	$value = mysql_real_escape_string( $value );
} else {
	//If magic quotesw are not active add slashes manually
	if (!$magic_quotes_active) { $value = addslashes( $value ); } 
}	

  
	return $value;	

}

function clean_string ($str) {

$str = str_replace(chr(130), ',', $str);    // baseline single quote
$str = str_replace(chr(131), 'NLG', $str);  // florin
$str = str_replace(chr(132), '"', $str);    // baseline double quote
$str = str_replace(chr(133), '...', $str);  // ellipsis
$str = str_replace(chr(134), '**', $str);   // dagger (a second footnote)
$str = str_replace(chr(135), '***', $str);  // double dagger (a third footnote)
$str = str_replace(chr(136), '^', $str);    // circumflex accent
$str = str_replace(chr(137), 'o/oo', $str); // permile
$str = str_replace(chr(138), 'Sh', $str);   // S Hacek
$str = str_replace(chr(139), '<', $str);    // left single guillemet
$str = str_replace(chr(140), 'OE', $str);   // OE ligature
$str = str_replace(chr(145), "'", $str);    // left single quote
$str = str_replace(chr(146), "'", $str);    // right single quote
$str = str_replace(chr(147), '"', $str);    // left double quote
$str = str_replace(chr(148), '"', $str);    // right double quote
$str = str_replace(chr(149), '-', $str);    // bullet
$str = str_replace(chr(150), '-', $str);    // endash
$str = str_replace(chr(151), '--', $str);   // emdash
$str = str_replace(chr(152), '~', $str);    // tilde accent
$str = str_replace(chr(153), '(TM)', $str); // trademark ligature
$str = str_replace(chr(154), 'sh', $str);   // s Hacek
$str = str_replace(chr(155), '>', $str);    // right single guillemet
$str = str_replace(chr(156), 'oe', $str);   // oe ligature
$str = str_replace(chr(159), 'Y', $str);    // Y Dieresis	

return $str;

}

$vendor_info = clean_string($_POST['vendor_info']);
$vendor_info = mysql_prep($_POST['vendor_info']);

$sql = "INSERT INTO $table_name ( vendor_id.....

 

Please be gentle, I am still learning PHP and I am far from an expert.

 

 

Thanks for any help!