Manpages - curl_unescape.3

curl_unescape - URL decodes the given string

#include <curl/curl.h>

char *curl_unescape( const char **/url/, int length );*

Obsolete function. Use curl_easy_unescape(3) instead!

This function will convert the given URL encoded input string 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) will be converted to their plain text versions.

If the ’length’ argument is set to 0, curl_unescape() will use strlen() on the input ’url’ string to find out the size.

You must curl_free(3) the returned string when you are done with it.

  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
  if(curl) {
    int decodelen;
    char *decoded = curl_unescape("%63%75%72%6c", 12, &decodelen);
    if(decoded) {
      /* do not assume printf() works on the decoded data! */
      printf("Decoded: ");
      /* ... */
      curl_free(decoded);
    }
  }

Since 7.15.4, curl_easy_unescape(3) should be used. This function will be removed in a future release.

A pointer to a null-terminated string or NULL if it failed.