is stripslashes() necessary for all text from db that were mysql_real_escape()'d on the way in?

Question

When i add something to my mysql db, i use mysql_real_escape_string(), then put it in the database.

do i need to stripslashes() when i later get it from the db with mysql_query() and mysql_fetch_array(), or does one of these functions do it for me, or is it just not necesseary?

Answer 1

The escape characters are never stored in the database. They go away as the SQL parser parses your query.

Your question displays a fundamental misunderstanding of how escaping works. Escape characters are only a way to tell the parser to ignore the special meaning the parser gives to a character. After the string has been parsed into a structure in memory, there is no reason to keep the escape characters.

If you're seeing extraneous slashes, your server might be configured wrong and you might be getting bitten by a retarded PHP feature called magic quotes.

Answer 2

Its not neccessary, it will return a normal string.