<?php

$new = htmlspecialchars("<a href='test'>Test</a>", ENT_QUOTES);

echo $new; // <a href='test'>Test</a>

?>

<?php

function fixtags($text){

$text = htmlspecialchars($text);

$text = preg_replace("/=/", "=\"\"", $text);

$text = preg_replace("/"/", ""\"", $text);

$tags = "/<(\/|)(\w*)(\ |)(\w*)([\\\=]*)(?|(\")\""\"|)(?|(.*)?"(\")|)([\ ]?)(\/|)>/i";

$replacement = "<$1$2$3$4$5$6$7$8$9$10>";

$text = preg_replace($tags, $replacement, $text);

$text = preg_replace("/=\"\"/", "=", $text);

return $text;

}

?>

an example:

<?php

$string = "

this is smaller < than this<br />

this is greater > than this<br />

this is the same = as this<br />

<a href=\"http://www.example.com/example.php?test=test\">This is a link</a><br />

<b>Bold</b> <i>italic</i> etc...";

echo fixtags($string);

?>