Hi Monks, I'm having trouble with escaping an apostrophe. I'm using a javascript popup and a perl script to add something to the database. The problem is the $favtitle variable in my javascript link has an apostrophe in it, so I escape it. When it hits my script I read in the $favtitle with cgi param. However, I can't get my script to stuff the title in the database because of the apostrophe. I try switching it back and getting rid of the escape, but it doesn't work. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. The javascript that calls the popup is here. You'll notice I'm escaping the apostrophe for favtitle: 
 <a href="javascript:popUp('/cgi-bin/script.pl?favadd=yes&num=6210&fav
+title=jones\'s title&favlink=6210.html')">

[download]
Here is the script: 
$favtitle = param('favtitle'); 

if ($favadd && $username_valid == 1) {


    if ($favtitle && $favlink) {
    
$favtitle =~ s/\\'/\'/g;

        $favorites = $favorites . "$favtitle|||$favlink|||$num~~~";
        $oldtitle = $favtitle;
        $oldlink = $favlink;

        @favs = split /~~~/,$favorites;
        if (@favs > $maxfavs) {

            
            print <<HTML;

Currently, the maximum number is $maxfavs.
<br>
<br>Max number reached!
<br>
<br>
<font face="arial" size="-1"><a href="javascript:window.close()">Close
+ Window</a></font>
HTML

        } else {

            @sorted = sort {uc($a) cmp uc($b)} @favs;
            $favorites = "";
            foreach (@sorted){
                ($favtitle,$favlink,$num) = split /\|\|\|/,$_;
                $favorites = $favorites . $favtitle . "|||" . $favlink
+ . "|||" . $num . "~~~";
            }

            
            # update existing record
            $SQL = "UPDATE $regtable SET favorites='$favorites' WHERE 
+ID='$ID'";
            &Do_SQL;

            # get favorites
            $favslist = "";
            $rowcolor = "#EEEEEE";
            @favs = split /~~~/,$favorites;
            foreach (@favs){
                ($favtitle,$favlink,$num) = split /\|\|\|/,$_;
                $favslist = $favslist . "<tr><td bgcolor=$rowcolor><a 
+href=\"$favlink\">$favtitle</a></td></tr>";
                # alternate grey and white bar
                if ($rowcolor eq "#EEEEEE") {
                    $rowcolor = "#FFFFFF";
                } else {
                    $rowcolor = "#EEEEEE";
                } # end if ($rowcolor eq "#EEEEEE")
            }
            $favslist = "<table border=0 width=100% cellpadding=4 cell
+spacing=0><tr><td> <b>My Saves:</b><br></td></tr>".$favslist."</table
+>";


            print <<HTML;
            Saved!
            HTML

[download]
I get the confirmation pages like I'm supposed to, but nothing goes in the database. If I take out this line: 
$favtitle =~ s/\\'/\'/g;

[download]
It makes no difference. If I don't escape the apostrophe in the javascript the popup doesn't work. The only way I can get it to work is to completely remove the apostrophe in the javascript link, but then the title goes in the database without an apostrophe which isn't ideal. The other weird thing is, if I don't use a javascript popup, and force people to change pages to the confirmatoin page, it works with the apostrophe. See anything I'm doing wrong? Thanks.

In reply to Escaping then un-escaping an apostrophe by htmanning

Title:
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