Unicode codepoint escape syntax in PHP 7

PHP 7 introduced Unicode codepoint escape syntax, allowing you to write Unicode characters directly in double-quoted strings using the \u{xxx} format. This syntax accepts hexadecimal codepoints of varying lengths (2, 4, 6, or more digits) and produces UTF-8 character output.

Syntax

The Unicode escape syntax follows this pattern −

"\u{hexadecimal_codepoint}"

Leading zeros are optional, so \u{aaa} and \u{0000aaa} produce the same result.

Basic Example

Here's how to use Unicode codepoints in PHP 7 −

<?php
   echo "\u{aaa}";      // Gujarati letter PA
   echo "\u{0000aaa}";  // Same character with leading zeros
   echo "\u{9999}";     // CJK ideograph
?>

???

Right-to-Left Text Example

Some languages like Hebrew and Arabic read from right to left. You can use Unicode character U+202E for right-to-left override −

<?php
   echo "\u{202E} show reversed text";
   echo "\u{202D}";  // Left-to-right override (reset)
?>

txet desrever wohs

Currency Symbols

Unicode escape syntax makes it easy to include currency and special symbols −

<?php
   echo "Price: \u{00A3}500";    // Pound symbol
   echo "\nEuro: \u{20AC}100";   // Euro symbol
   echo "\nYen: \u{00A5}1000";   // Yen symbol
?>

Price: £500
Euro: ?100
Yen: ¥1000

Key Points

• Only works in double-quoted strings and heredoc syntax
• Single-quoted strings do not support Unicode escapes
• Hexadecimal codepoints can be 2-6 digits or more
• Leading zeros are optional
• Improves readability compared to previous PHP versions

Conclusion

Unicode codepoint escape syntax in PHP 7 simplifies character encoding by allowing direct Unicode insertion in strings. This feature eliminates the need for complex escaping methods used in earlier PHP versions.