PHP – Retrieve internal configuration variables of iconv extension using iconv_get_encoding() function

In PHP, the iconv_get_encoding() function is used to retrieve the internal configuration variables of the iconv extension. This function allows you to check the current encoding settings that are being used by the iconv functions for character set conversion.

Syntax

mixed iconv_get_encoding(string $type = "all")

Parameters

The iconv_get_encoding() function accepts one optional parameter:

$type − Specifies which encoding type to retrieve. The valid values are:

• all − Returns all encoding settings (default)
• input_encoding − Returns the input encoding setting
• output_encoding − Returns the output encoding setting
• internal_encoding − Returns the internal encoding setting

Return Value

The function returns the current value of the specified encoding configuration. If $type is "all" or omitted, it returns an associative array containing all encoding settings. Returns false on failure.

Example 1 − Getting All Encoding Settings

This example demonstrates how to retrieve all iconv encoding configurations ?

<?php
    // Set some encoding configurations
    iconv_set_encoding("internal_encoding", "UTF-8");
    iconv_set_encoding("output_encoding", "ISO-8859-1");
    
    // Get all encoding settings
    $encodings = iconv_get_encoding('all');
    var_dump($encodings);
?>

array(3) {
  ["input_encoding"]=>
  string(5) "UTF-8"
  ["output_encoding"]=>
  string(10) "ISO-8859-1"
  ["internal_encoding"]=>
  string(5) "UTF-8"
}

Example 2 − Getting Specific Encoding Type

This example shows how to retrieve only the internal encoding setting ?

<?php
    // Set internal encoding
    iconv_set_encoding("internal_encoding", "UTF-8");
    
    // Get only internal encoding
    $internal = iconv_get_encoding('internal_encoding');
    var_dump($internal);
    
    // Get output encoding
    $output = iconv_get_encoding('output_encoding');
    var_dump($output);
?>

string(5) "UTF-8"
string(10) "ISO-8859-1"

Conclusion

The iconv_get_encoding() function is essential for debugging and managing character encoding in PHP applications. Use it to verify current iconv settings and ensure proper character set conversion throughout your application.