PHP inet_ntop() Function: Everything You Need to Know

As a PHP developer, you may need to convert a binary string containing an IPv4 or IPv6 address to a human-readable format. The inet_ntop() function is a built-in function in PHP that allows you to convert a binary string to an IP address. In this article, we will take an in-depth look at the inet_ntop() function and its usage.

What is the inet_ntop() Function?

The inet_ntop() function is a PHP built-in function that allows you to convert a binary string containing an IPv4 or IPv6 address to a human-readable format.

How to Use the inet_ntop() Function

Using the inet_ntop() function is straightforward. Here is the syntax of the function:

inet_ntop($in_addr);

The function takes one parameter:

• $in_addr: The binary string containing the IPv4 or IPv6 address.

Here is an example of how to use the inet_ntop() function to convert a binary string containing an IPv4 address to a human-readable format:

<?php

$binary_string = "\x7f\x00\x00\x01";
$ip_address = inet_ntop($binary_string);
echo $ip_address; // Outputs 127.0.0.1

In this example, we use the inet_ntop() function to convert a binary string containing an IPv4 address to a human-readable format. The binary string is "\x7f\x00\x00\x01", which represents the IP address 127.0.0.1. We then use the echo statement to output the IP address on the screen.

Conclusion

The inet_ntop() function is a useful tool for converting a binary string containing an IPv4 or IPv6 address to a human-readable format in your PHP web application. By understanding the syntax and usage of the function, you can easily convert binary strings to IP addresses. We hope this article has been informative and useful in understanding the inet_ntop() function in PHP.