Use URI::Escape or CGI's built-in escape function to do this.

use CGI;
my $q = CGI->new();

my $string = "What a lovely function!";
$string = $q->escape($string);

# or using the procedural interface...

use CGI qw(:param);

my $string = "What a lovely function!";
$string = CGI::escape($string);
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HTH </code>

Philosophy can be made out of anything. Or less -- Jerry A. Fodor