curl/docs/libcurl/curl_unescape.md
Patrick Monnerat 92e6782d1f
doc: some returned in-memory data may not be altered
Some public prototypes do not declare return values or out parameters as
const where they should be. Avoid changing the public interface, but
document those values as read-only.

Closes #19692
2025-11-25 11:05:27 +01:00

73 lines
1.5 KiB
Markdown

---
c: Copyright (C) Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
SPDX-License-Identifier: curl
Title: curl_unescape
Section: 3
Source: libcurl
See-also:
- RFC 2396
- curl_easy_escape (3)
- curl_easy_unescape (3)
- curl_free (3)
Protocol:
- All
Added-in: 7.1
---
# NAME
curl_unescape - URL decode a string
# SYNOPSIS
~~~c
#include <curl/curl.h>
char *curl_unescape(const char *input, int length);
~~~
# DESCRIPTION
Deprecated. Use curl_easy_unescape(3) instead.
This function converts the URL encoded string **input** to a "plain string"
and return that as a new allocated string. All input characters that are URL
encoded (%XX where XX is a two-digit hexadecimal number) are converted to
their plain text versions. Although not constrained by its type, the returned
data may not be altered.
If the **length** argument is set to 0, curl_unescape(3) calls
strlen() on **input** to find out the size.
You must curl_free(3) the returned string when you are done with it.
# %PROTOCOLS%
# EXAMPLE
~~~c
int main(void)
{
CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
if(curl) {
char *decoded = curl_unescape("%63%75%72%6c", 12);
if(decoded) {
/* do not assume printf() works on the decoded data */
printf("Decoded: ");
/* ... */
curl_free(decoded);
}
}
}
~~~
# DEPRECATED
Since 7.15.4, curl_easy_unescape(3) should be used. This function might
be removed in a future release.
# %AVAILABILITY%
# RETURN VALUE
A pointer to a null-terminated string or NULL if it failed.