:param    string    $type: Randomization type
:param    int    $len: Output string length
:returns:    A random string
:rtype:    string

Generates a random string based on the type and length you specify.
Useful for creating passwords or generating random hashes.

The first parameter specifies the type of string, the second parameter
specifies the length. The following choices are available:

- **alpha**: A string with lower and uppercase letters only.
- **alnum**: Alphanumeric string with lower and uppercase characters.
- **numeric**: Numeric string.
- **nozero**: Numeric string with no zeros.
- **crypto**: A random string based on ``random_bytes()``.

.. note:: When you use **crypto**, you must set an even number to the second parameter.
    Since v4.2.2, if you set an odd number, ``InvalidArgumentException`` will be thrown.

.. note:: Since v4.3.3, **alpha**, **alnum** and **nozero** use ``random_byte()``,
    and **numeric** uses ``random_int()``.
    In the previous versions, it used ``str_shuffle()`` that is not
    cryptographically secure.

Usage example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/002.php

:param    string    $str: Input string
:param    string    $separator: Separator to append a duplicate number with
:param    int    $first: Starting number
:returns:    An incremented string
:rtype:    string

Increments a string by appending a number to it or increasing the
number. Useful for creating "copies" or a file or duplicating database
content which has unique titles or slugs.

Usage example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/003.php

:param    mixed    $args: A variable number of arguments
:returns:    Alternated string(s)
:rtype:    mixed

Allows two or more items to be alternated between, when cycling through
a loop. Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/004.php

You can add as many parameters as you want, and with each iteration of
your loop the next item will be returned.

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/005.php

.. note:: To use multiple separate calls to this function simply call the
    function with no arguments to re-initialize.

:param    string    $str: Input string
:returns:    A string with normalized slashes
:rtype:    string

Converts double slashes in a string to a single slash, except those
found in URL protocol prefixes (e.g., http://).

Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/006.php

:param    mixed    $data: Input string or an array of strings
:returns:    String(s) with stripped slashes
:rtype:    mixed

Removes any slashes from an array of strings.

Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/007.php

The above will return the following array:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/008.php

.. note:: For historical reasons, this function will also accept
    and handle string inputs. This however makes it just an
    alias for ``stripslashes()``.

:param    string    $str: Text to search in
:param    string    $character: Character to reduce
:param    bool    $trim: Whether to also trim the specified character
:returns:    Reduced string
:rtype:    string

Reduces multiple instances of a particular character occurring directly
after each other. Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/009.php

If the third parameter is set to ``true``, it will remove occurrences of the
character at the beginning and the end of the string. Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/010.php

:param    string    $str: Input string
:returns:    String with quotes converted to HTML entities
:rtype:    string

Converts single and double quotes in a string to the corresponding HTML
entities. Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/011.php

:param    string    $str: Input string
:returns:    String with quotes stripped
:rtype:    string

Removes single and double quotes from a string. Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/012.php

:param    string    $str: Input string
:param    int    $limit: Limit
:param    string    $endChar: End character (usually an ellipsis)
:returns:    Word-limited string
:rtype:    string

Truncates a string to the number of *words* specified. Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/013.php

The third parameter is an optional suffix added to the string. By
default it adds an ellipsis.

:param    string    $string: Input string
:param    int    $limit: Number of characters
:param    string    $endChar: End character (usually an ellipsis)
:returns:    Character-limited string
:rtype:    string

Truncates a string to the number of *characters* specified. It
maintains the integrity of words so the character count may be slightly
more or less than what you specify.

Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/014.php

The third parameter is an optional suffix added to the string, if
undeclared this helper uses an ellipsis.

.. note:: If you need to truncate to an exact number of characters, please
    see the :php:func:`ellipsize()` function below.

:param    string    $str: Input string
:returns:    A string with ASCII values converted to entities
:rtype:    string

Converts ASCII values to character entities, including high ASCII and MS
Word characters that can cause problems when used in a web page, so that
they can be shown consistently regardless of browser settings or stored
reliably in a database. There is some dependence on your server's
supported character sets, so it may not be 100% reliable in all cases,
but for the most part, it should correctly identify characters outside
the normal range (like accented characters).

Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/015.php

:param    string    $str: Input string
:param    bool    $all: Whether to convert unsafe entities as well
:returns:    A string with HTML entities converted to ASCII characters
:rtype:    string

This function does the opposite of :php:func:`ascii_to_entities()`.
It turns character entities back into ASCII.

:param    string    $str: Input string
:returns:    A string with accented characters converted
:rtype:    string

Transliterates high ASCII characters to low ASCII equivalents. Useful
when non-English characters need to be used where only standard ASCII
characters are safely used, for instance, in URLs.

Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/016.php

.. note:: This function uses a companion config file
    **app/Config/ForeignCharacters.php** to define the to and
    from array for transliteration.

:param    string    $str: Input string
:param    array    $censored: List of bad words to censor
:param    string    $replacement: What to replace bad words with
:returns:    Censored string
:rtype:    string

Enables you to censor words within a text string. The first parameter
will contain the original string. The second will contain an array of
words which you disallow. The third (optional) parameter can contain
a replacement value for the words. If not specified they are replaced
with pound signs: ####.

Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/017.php

:param    string    $str: Input string
:returns:    String with code highlighted via HTML
:rtype:    string

Colorizes a string of code (PHP, HTML, etc.). Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/018.php

The function uses PHP's ``highlight_string()`` function, so the
colors used are the ones specified in your php.ini file.

:param    string    $str: Input string
:param    string    $phrase: Phrase to highlight
:param    string    $tag_open: Opening tag used for the highlight
:param    string    $tag_close: Closing tag for the highlight
:returns:    String with a phrase highlighted via HTML
:rtype:    string

Will highlight a phrase within a text string. The first parameter will
contain the original string, the second will contain the phrase you wish
to highlight. The third and fourth parameters will contain the
opening/closing HTML tags you would like the phrase wrapped in.

Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/019.php

The above code prints::

    Here is a <span style="color:#990000;">nice text</span> string about nothing in particular.

.. note:: This function used to use the ``<strong>`` tag by default. Older browsers
    might not support the new HTML5 mark tag, so it is recommended that you
    insert the following CSS code into your stylesheet if you need to support
    such browsers::

        mark {
            background: #ff0;
            color: #000;
        };

:param    string    $str: Input string
:param    int    $charlim: Character limit
:returns:    Word-wrapped string
:rtype:    string

Wraps text at the specified *character* count while maintaining
complete words.

Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/020.php

:param    string    $str: Input string
:param    int    $max_length: String length limit
:param    mixed    $position: Position to split at (int or float)
:param    string    $ellipsis: What to use as the ellipsis character
:returns:    Ellipsized string
:rtype:    string

This function will strip tags from a string, split it at a defined
maximum length, and insert an ellipsis.

The first parameter is the string to ellipsize, the second is the number
of characters in the final string. The third parameter is where in the
string the ellipsis should appear from 0 - 1, left to right. For
example. a value of 1 will place the ellipsis at the right of the
string, .5 in the middle, and 0 at the left.

An optional fourth parameter is the kind of ellipsis. By default,
… will be inserted.

Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/021.php

Produces::

    this_string_is_e…ak_my_design.jpg

:param    string    $text: Text to extract an excerpt
:param    string    $phrase: Phrase or word to extract the text around
:param    int        $radius: Number of characters before and after $phrase
:param    string    $ellipsis: What to use as the ellipsis character
:returns:    Excerpt.
:rtype:        string

This function will extract $radius number of characters before and after the
central $phrase with an ellipsis before and after.

The first parameter is the text to extract an excerpt from, the second is the
central word or phrase to count before and after. The third parameter is the
number of characters to count before and after the central phrase. If no phrase
passed, the excerpt will include the first $radius characters with the ellipsis
at the end.

Example:

.. literalinclude:: text_helper/022.php

Produces::

    ... non mauris lectus. Phasellus eu sodales sem. Integer dictum purus ac
    enim hendrerit gravida. Donec ac magna vel nunc tincidunt molestie sed
    vitae nisl. Cras sed auctor mauris, non dictum tortor. ...