PHP - Encode/convert Text To Numbers/binary

I'm hitting a SQL Server db and every table has a ts (timestamp) field that is a binary datatype - 8 bytes. Is there a way to "read" the binary and output it as a string?

I'm planning on storing RIPEMD-160 passphrase hash's raw binary data in MySQL as BINARY(20).  Right now, I'm not sure if one of the following INSERT approach is more preferrable and more efficient:

Approach (1) - Using mysqli::real_escape_string()
=================================================

Code: [Select]
$binhash = $mysqli->real_escape_string(hash('ripemd160', $passphrase, true));
$mysqli->query("INSERT INTO testtbl (Passphrase) VALUES ('" . $binhash . "')");
This approach saves hash() from converting raw binary data to hexadecimal format, but need to process and escape the binary string.

Approach (2) - Using UNHEX() on MySQL
=====================================

Code: [Select]
$hexhash = hash('ripemd160', $passphrase);
$mysqli->query("INSERT INTO testtbl (Passphrase) values (UNHEX('" . $hexhash . "'))");
This approach needs hash() to convert binary data to hexadecimal but no need for escaping the string and it put extra load on MySQL to convert the hexadecimal back to binary.

I wonder whether someone may be able to help me please. I'm fairly new to PHP programming so please bear with me.

I currently have a HTML user input form, where two of the fields are dependable drop down boxes. The user selects text values from these and, along with other pieces of information, the record is saved to a mySQL database. However, rather than saving the text value I save the 'id' field value for each selection made.

On another 'Read Only' form, the user can then go back to have a look at the records they have previously saved.

The problem I have is that rather than the user being able to see the text values selected from the drop down menus, they can only see the id for each of the selections made. I just wondered whether it would be at all possible please that someone could show me what I need to do so that the user can see the 'text' rather than the 'id' value from the selections they have made.

The code that I am using to load the information into the read only form is below.

Code: [Select]
<?php 
require("phpfile.php"); 

// Start XML file, create parent node 

$dom = new DOMDocument("1.0"); 
$node = $dom->createElement("markers"); 
$parnode = $dom->appendChild($node); 

// Opens a connection to a MySQL server 

$connection=mysql_connect ("hostname", $username, $password); 
if (!$connection) { die('Not connected : ' . mysql_error());} 

// Set the active MySQL database 

$db_selected = mysql_select_db($database, $connection); 
if (!$db_selected) { 
die ('Can\'t use db : ' . mysql_error()); 
} 

// Select all the rows in the table 

$query = "SELECT findid, locationid, detectorid, searchheadid "; 

$result = mysql_query($query); 
if (!$result) { 
die('Invalid query: ' . mysql_error()); 
} 

header("Content-type: text/xml"); 

// Iterate through the rows, adding XML nodes for each 

while ($row = @mysql_fetch_assoc($result)){ 
// ADD TO XML DOCUMENT NODE 
$node = $dom->createElement("marker"); 
$newnode = $parnode->appendChild($node); 
$newnode->setAttribute("findid",$row['findid']); 
$newnode->setAttribute("locationid",$row['locationid']); 
$$newnode->setAttribute("detectorid",$row['detectorid']);
$newnode->setAttribute("searchheadid",$row['searchheadid']);
} 

echo $dom->saveXML(); 

?> 

The two fields concerned are 'detectorid' and 'searchheadid'. The tables holding the 'id' and 'text' values for each are in the following tables 'detectors' and searchheads'.

Many thanks and kind regards

Chris

In a text box I put in some code snippets that I want to refer to later, but when I display it, it displays it in html.  How do I convert the code into pure text so it displays the actual code?

If I try strip_tags, that just strips it (and it doesn't work with php).  And I can't use strip_tags with conditions, because I don't want to list all codes!

Also, the code has both html tags and php code - I just want that whole thing to be displayed as is, without havign the browser try to "read" it. 

Also if I put this into the text box, <td><?php echo date ("m/d/Y", strtotime($row['code_date']));?></td> then nothing is displayed.
If I put this in the box:  <input class="button" style="display:inline"  name="whatever" type="submit" value="Press here" />

then I get an actual submit button instead of the code!

Hello,
I was wondering how i could count how many times the number 1  appers in the document and 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

The text will have over 1000000 results set out like this:
Code: [Select]
2
10
1
4
2
7
5
3
8
10
1
7
7
2
1
9
3
3
7
3
1
5
2
1
4
7
7
9
10
2
5
8
10
9
8
3
2
2
9
6
8
8
8
2
5
1
9
3
5
9
3
4
6
7
5
6
9
2
3
6
2
once it has counted the charicters i want it to put it in to a table

I have all redey made the table:
Code: [Select]
<table border="1">
<tr>
<th>1</th>
<th>2</th>
<th>3</th>
<th>4</th>
<th>5</th>
<th>6</th>
<th>7</th>
<th>8</th>
<th>9</th>
<th>10</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>number of numbers</td>
<td>number of numbers</td>
<td>number of numbers</td>
<td>number of numbers</td>
<td>number of numbers</td>
<td>number of numbers</td>
<td>number of numbers</td>
<td>number of numbers</td>
<td>number of numbers</td>
<td>number of numbers</td>
</tr>
</table>
I have looked at the count_chars function but the manule is ver confuzerling

if anyone could explane how i could do this it would be great

Thanks

Jragon