I use a lot the function:
get_search_query()
To get the value returned from searches and to be able to modify and use the string.
I need to know a function to get <?php the_content(); ?> as a string or how to turn what that function returns into a string.
The content is just a simple word with paragraph tags but using that function I also get the tags, I want to get just the text so I can add it to a hyperlink.
I think you’re looking for
get_the_content(), which is well documented: http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/the_content