The %7 and similar are used in URL encoding to represent illegal characters such as spaces and others - these are translated when the user clicks to open the URL, giving the string you get back......... I think Peter ----------------------------------------------- Excellence in internet and open source software ----------------------------------------------- Sunmaia Birmingham UK www.sunmaia.net tel. 0121-242-1473 International +44-121-242-1473 ----------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: NIPP, SCOTT V (SBCSI) [mailto:sn4265@sbc.com] Sent: 04 December 2002 22:07 To: 'php-db@lists.php.net' Subject: Special URL Verification String... I am trying to implement an approval system that sends an e-mail to a user for approval linking them back to a special URL that matches database entries for a verification string. The verification string sent via the e-mail does not match that in the database and I am looking for help in figuring out why. Here is what generates the verification string: $verify_string = $sbcuid; for ($i = 0 ; $i < 14; $i++) { $verify_string .= chr(mt_rand(32,126)); } Here is what this results in inside the database table: sn4265e~zD|W(XTMxO"+ Here is what is sent in the e-mail: sn4265e%7EzD%7CW%28XTMxO%22%2B I know that I am doing something wrong here, but what. Thanks in advance. Scott Nipp Phone: (214) 858-1289 E-mail: sn4265@sbc.com Web: http:\\ldsa.sbcld.sbc.com -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php