encode_entities_numeric( $string )
       encode_entities_numeric( $string, $unsafe_chars )
           This routine works just like encode_entities, except that the
           replacement entities are always "&#xhexnum;" and never "&entname;".
           For example, "encode_entities("r\xF4le")" returns "rôle", but
           "encode_entities_numeric("r\xF4le")" returns "rôle".

           This routine is not exported by default.  But you can always export
           it with "use HTML::Entities qw(encode_entities_numeric);" or even
           "use HTML::Entities qw(:DEFAULT encode_entities_numeric);"