how to escape function call parameter

[chuck]

Hi,
I have a php function creating links from a products mysql database.
some of the descriptions have characters that I need to escape but
whatever i do, javascript doesn't like them.
for example a product description might be

30' black ribbon

I have tried backslash escapes and a php function, htmlspecialchars
http://us3.php.net/htmlspecialchars

how should I escape the parameters?

Any help is appreciated,
Chuck

here is a basic example of what i am trying to do without success.

<script type="text/javascript">
function showValue(val)
{ document.getElementById('show').innerHTML = val;
return false;
}
</script>

<p><a href="#" onclick="return showValue('aaa');">aaa</a></p>
<p><a href="#" onclick="return showValue('64"');">64"</a></p>
<p><a href="#" onclick="return showValue('34\"');">34"</a></p>
<p><a href="#" onclick="return showValue('&lt;a
href='test'&gt;Test&lt;/a&gt;');">&lt;a
href='test'&gt;Test&lt;/a&gt;</a></p>
<div id="show"></div>

[James]

You need to use standard unescape javascript function for your case.

<script type="text/javascript">
function showValue(val)
{ document.getElementById('show').innerHTML = unescape(val);
return false;
}
</script>

<a href="#" onclick="return
showValue('escaped%20javascript%20string');"></a>

Visit http://www.logicwebsolutions.com for a free copy of Logicweb
Studio, which has a lot of useful javascript examples

James