Using Normalize function in PHP for status updating. I cannot make it to work.

[hgc2002]

Perhaps this is a quite common question, but I can't find it in these
groups. So I ask it again:

The link <http://apiwiki.twitter.com/
FAQ#HowdoInbspcountoutnbsp140charactersnbsp> explains how to count the
140 characters.

I'm making tests using PHP. The recommendation is to use
Normalize::normalize($string,Normalizer::FORM_C) or I do have
interpreted it wrong (because it does not seems to work)?

My test: update status to "Probando la integración con Twitter desde
Madrid". Have you noted the accent? That is the reason of this test.

I've tried to normalize the whole string and all characters one by
one. The first way does look to normalize only the first character.
The second way seems to "delete" the accented letter and keep the
rest.

What it's going on?

Thanks for your help.

Herman.