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.TH curl_easy_unescape 3 "October 31, 2021" "libcurl 7.80.0" "libcurl Manual"

.SH NAME
curl_easy_unescape - URL decodes the given string
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B #include <curl/curl.h>
.sp
.BI "char *curl_easy_unescape( CURL *" curl ", const char *" url
.BI ", int "inlength ", int *" outlength " );"
.ad
.SH DESCRIPTION
This function converts the given URL encoded input string to a "plain string"
and returns that in an allocated memory area. All input characters that are
URL encoded (%XX where XX is a two-digit hexadecimal number) are converted to
their binary versions.

If the \fBlength\fP argument is set to 0 (zero), \fIcurl_easy_unescape(3)\fP
will use strlen() on the input \fIurl\fP string to find out the size.

If \fBoutlength\fP is non-NULL, the function will write the length of the
returned string in the integer it points to. This allows an escaped string
containing %00 to still get used properly after unescaping. Since this is a
pointer to an \fIint\fP type, it can only return a value up to INT_MAX so no
longer string can be unescaped if the string length is returned in this
parameter.

You must \fIcurl_free(3)\fP the returned string when you are done with it.
.SH EXAMPLE
.nf
CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
if(curl) {
  int decodelen;
  char *decoded = curl_easy_unescape(curl, "%63%75%72%6c", 12, &decodelen);
  if(decoded) {
    /* do not assume printf() works on the decoded data! */
    printf("Decoded: ");
    /* ... */
    curl_free(decoded);
  }
}
.fi
.SH AVAILABILITY
Added in 7.15.4 and replaces the old \fIcurl_unescape(3)\fP function.
.SH RETURN VALUE
A pointer to a null-terminated string or NULL if it failed.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.BR curl_easy_escape "(3), " curl_free "(3)," RFC 3986