Possible automatic encoding of characters when inserting them using mysqli statements

I am working on my own version of a relatively simplistic CMS, and when, for example, I insert the relative path to an image into the mysql 5.0 database, it's, for example, converting/encoding the / character into %2F. This is handled using prepared mysqli statements, and passing the values through as bound parameter values. Now I can easily enough do a str_ireplace() function call on the value when then retrieving it, before rendering it for output, but, would prefer to avoid specifically doing a search/replace on a few specific character values, just in case there's something that haven't noticed as of yet that might cause a further issue later on. In other words, am trying to remember what the relevant function would be to call to handle the conversion of the encoded character back to the original one at run time? TIA Jacob Kruger Blind Biker Skype: BlindZA "Roger Wilco wants to welcome you...to the space janitor's closet..."