Best way to encode passwords in PHP

Question

I currently use,
base64_encode() to encode a user\'s password, this works well because it allows me to simply use base64decode() to dec

Answer 1

An absolute must-read on this topic is Jeff's own You're Probably Storing Passwords Incorrectly. Here's the executive summary:

1. Do not invent your own "clever" password storage scheme.
2. Never store passwords as plaintext.
3. Add a long, unique random salt to each password you store.
4. Use a cryptographically secure hash.