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Use Server.HTMLEncode for strings stored in a database

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If your ASP pages display strings stored in database fields, you should always process the strings with the Server.HTMLEncode method, otherwise the string won’t be displayed correctly in the user’s browser if it contains characters that have a special meaning to HTML, such as the quote (“), the less-than (<) and greater-than (>) symbols, the ampersand symbol (&), and any character whose ANSI code is larger than 127.

Here’s an example of how you should use the Server.HTMLEncode method:

Dim rs Set rs = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")rs.Open "products", "DSN=mydb"' display the product name on the first lineResponse.Write rs("product_name") & "<BR>"' the Description field might contain special charsResponse.Write Server.HTMLEncode(rs("product_description"))

Charlie has over a decade of experience in website administration and technology management. As the site admin, he oversees all technical aspects of running a high-traffic online platform, ensuring optimal performance, security, and user experience.

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