MySQL SELECT on Arabic Word returns 0 results on PHP but does on SQLBuddy/phpMyAdmin

Question

Problem

I am getting 0 results when searching for an Arabic word in a MySQL database using the SELECT query with PHP.

However, the same exact query yields results in alternative clients, namely SQLBuddy and the likes. Everything is encoded in UTF-8.

Code

<?php
    $host = "localhost";
    $username = "hans_wehr_client";
    // i know my security is a joke :)
    $password = "hans_wehr"; 
    $database = "hans_wehr";
    $conn = new mysqli($host, $username, $password, $database);
    if ($conn == TRUE){
        $search = $_GET["search"];
        $encoded_search = utf8_encode($search);
        echo $encoded_search."<br>";
        header('Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8');
        $sql = "SELECT * FROM dictionary WHERE ARABIC LIKE '$search'";
        echo $sql."<br>";
        mysqli_query($conn,"SET NAMES 'utf8'");
        mysqli_query($conn,'SET CHARACTER SET utf8');
        $result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);
        if (mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0) {
        // output data of each row
            while($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
                header('Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8');
                echo $row["ARABIC"]. " - Meaning: " . $row["ENGLISH1"]. " " . $row["ENGLISH2"]. "<br>";
            }
        }else {
            echo "0 results";
        }
    }

?>

Before the mods get the pitchforks, I have to clear up my troubleshooting logic.

1. Encoding. I set the page encoding to utf-8 using header('Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8'); and ran the queries mysqli_query($conn,"SET NAMES 'utf8'"); and mysqli_query($conn,'SET CHARACTER SET utf8');, this cleared up the ??????? and Ùؤتا rendered instead of Arabic words issue. That is kind of a different issue. Source. and Source2.

2. Database Charset. My database and columns are set to UTF-8.

3. Other clients work. SQLBuddy/MySQL native client/ PHPMyAdmin appear to be working because running the same exact query yields result. Therefore I appear to be on the same bloody boat with him. The query SELECT * FROM dictionary WHERE ARABIC LIKE 'آخَر، أُخرى' returns a result on SQLbuddy but nada on PHP.

Possible solution:

Running the query SELECT * FROM dictionary WHERE ARABIC LIKE 'آخَر، أُخرى' yields me a result.

However running the query with a UTF-8 encoded version of the Arabic word returns 0 results. SELECT * FROM dictionary WHERE ARABIC LIKE 'آخَر، أُخرى' I think this simulates PHP.

The UTF-8 Arabic word version is obtained by decoding the automatically URL encoded $[_GET] parameter i.e %26%231570%3B%26%231582%3B%26%231614%3B%26%231585%3B%26%231548%3B+%26%231571%3B%26%231615%3B%26%231582%3B%26%231585%3B%26%231609%3B

Could it be that the MySQLi actually queries the UTF-8 version instead of the actual Arabic word? Therefore finding no match since they are different?

If so how can I explicitly tell PHP not to URL encode my search term and therefore pass it as it is?

Since according to my tinfoil theory, http://localhost/hans_wehr/search_ar.php?search=آخَر، أُخرى would work but http://localhost/hans_wehr/search_ar.php?search=%26%231570%3B%26%231582%3B%26%231614%3B%26%231585%3B%26%231548%3B+%26%231571%3B%26%231615%3B%26%231582%3B%26%231585%3B%26%231609%3B

Inputs will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Use html_entity_decode():

Use html_entity_decode() on your $_GET["search"] value

<?php
$host = "localhost";
$username = "hans_wehr_client";
// i know my security is a joke :)
$password = "hans_wehr"; 
$database = "hans_wehr";
$conn = new mysqli($host, $username, $password, $database);
if ($conn == TRUE){
    $search = $_GET["search"];
    $encoded_search =html_entity_decode($search, ENT_COMPAT, 'UTF-8');
    echo $encoded_search."<br>";
    header('Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8');
    $sql = "SELECT * FROM dictionary WHERE ARABIC LIKE '$encoded_search'";
    echo $sql."<br>";
    mysqli_query($conn,"SET NAMES 'utf8'");
    mysqli_query($conn,'SET CHARACTER SET utf8');
    $result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);
    if (mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0) {
    // output data of each row
        while($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
            header('Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8');
            echo $row["ARABIC"]. " - Meaning: " . $row["ENGLISH1"]. " " . $row["ENGLISH2"]. "<br>";
        }
    }else {
        echo "0 results";
    }
}

?>