PHP preg_match regex capturing pattern in a string

Question

I can't seem to get Regular Expressions right whenever I need to use them ...

Given a string like this one:

$string = 'text here [download="PDC" type="A"] and the text continues [download="PDS" type="B"] and more text yet again, more shotcodes might exist ...';

I need to print the "text here" part, then execute a mysql query based on the variables "PDC" and "A", then print the rest of the string... (repeating all again if more [download] exist in the string).

So far I have the following regex

$regex = '/(.*?)[download="(.*?)" type="(.*?)"](.*?)/';
preg_match($regex,$string,$res);
print_r($res);

But this is only capturing the following:

Array ( [0] => 111111 [1] => 111111 [2] => )

I'm using preg_match() ... should I use preg_match_all() instead? Anyway ... the regex is surely wrong... any help ?

[ opens character class, and ] finishes it. Such characters with meaning need to be either escaped or put into a QE block in PCRE regex. — hakre
– hakre, Commented Jan 5, 2013 at 23:58
Should it be $regex = '/(.*?)[download="(.*?)" tipo="(.*?)"](.*?)/'; ? — Afonso Gomes
– Afonso Gomes, Commented Jan 6, 2013 at 0:00
Whas a typo when I translated to make the question ... should be read "type" — Afonso Gomes
– Afonso Gomes, Commented Jan 6, 2013 at 0:01
Yes, those who speak some espagnol should know that typo "tipo" ;) — hakre
– hakre, Commented Jan 6, 2013 at 0:03

hakre · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-06 00:03:07Z

2

[ opens character class, and ] finishes it. Such characters with meaning need to be either escaped or put into a QE block in PCRE regex.

/(.*?)\Q[download="\E(.*?)" type="(.*?)"](.*?)/
      ##^          ##         ^-- you were looking for "tipo"
        |
  this character needs to be taken literal, hence the \Q....\E around it
                                                      ##    ##

answered Jan 6, 2013 at 0:03

hakre

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4 Comments

Afonso Gomes Over a year ago

Much better now thanks @hakre! But still not complete. I'm getting: Array ( [0] => text here [download="PDC" type="A"] [1] => text here [2] => PDC [3] => A [4] => ) ... the [0] part should only be the "text here" and [4] should have the rest of the string ...

hakre Over a year ago

Well, you only need to re-assing with that. It's better done afterwards because [0] is always the full match. If you need to change that with the regex this can become overkill (and is normally not done that way). Just process the return array into a new array and use the new array with the indexes you need to have.

Afonso Gomes Over a year ago

A bit screwed over here :| the last (.*?) group is not picking up anything... in the print_r($result) the last position is always empty I don't know why. Can you take a peak here afonsogomes.com/teste.php ? Please please please!

Afonso Gomes Over a year ago

Fixed it! Posting my answer later on. thanks for the regex you gave me mate! Ended up being the one I used.

bukart · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-06 00:12:57Z

1

Try it with with "little" one

/(?P<before>(?:(?!\[download="[^"]*" type="[^"]*"\]).)*)\[download="(?P<download>[^"]*)" type="(?P<type>[^"]*)"\](?P<after>(?:(?!\[download="[^"]*" type="[^"]*"\]).)*)/

It will provide you the keys before, after, download and type in the matches result.

Test it here: http://www.regex101.com/r/mF2vN5

answered Jan 6, 2013 at 0:12

bukart

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2 Comments

Afonso Gomes Over a year ago

I was using gskinner.com/RegExr/ to test my expressions ... that one is way better for noobs at regex like me! Instant fave! Going to test it right now.

bukart Over a year ago

@hakre : the link provides some nice explanations, therefore js is used

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