How to replace "\\" in a URL using regex?

Question

$tag_path = "c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\\tables";

I want to delete only the last \\tables in $tag_path.

I used the code below:

$tag_path = preg_replace("/\\\\tables$/i", "", $tag_path);

But it returned the following result:

c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\

Why? How can I delete the last \\tables in $tag_path?

If i echo tag_path="c:\work\link2\tmp\5699", But i write log tag_path="c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\"

Use str_replace() instead: str_replace('\\tables', '', $tag_path);. — Amal
– Amal, Commented May 7, 2014 at 12:04
I only want to delete last '\\tables'. If tag_path has 2 '\\tables' — D T
– D T, Commented May 7, 2014 at 12:07
possible duplicate of Extra backslash needed in PHP regexp pattern — Anonymous
– Anonymous, Commented May 7, 2014 at 12:07
@user1497597: I'm not sure how it doesn't work. See this demo. Your preg_replace statement works as it should. — Amal
– Amal, Commented May 7, 2014 at 12:08

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 10:32:28Z

2

Just:

str_replace('\\tables', '', $tag_path);

... should do the job. Note that I'm using single quotes and I'm using str_replace() in favour of preg_replace() because you are about to replace a constant pattern, no regex. In this case str_replace() is simpler and therefore faster.

Update:

In comments you told that you want to replace \\tables only if it is the end of the path. Then a regex is the right solution. Use this one:

preg_replace('~\\\\tables$~', '', $tag_path);

Also here the single quotes do the trick. Check this answer which explains that nicely. Furthermore I'm using ~ as the pattern delimiter for more clearness.

edited May 23, 2017 at 10:32

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answered May 7, 2014 at 12:05

hek2mgl

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4 Comments

D T Over a year ago

I only delete last '\\tables'

Amal Over a year ago

Nitpick: This wouldn't still work. To match a literal backslash, you'd have to write \\\\. (As for why, see this answer.) ;-)

hek2mgl Over a year ago

@AmalMurali Hey, thx!. wouldn't have expected that. But sounds logic now :)

D T Over a year ago

If i echo tag_path="c:\work\link2\tmp\5699", But i write log tag_path="c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\"

Shankar Narayana Damodaran · Accepted Answer · 2014-05-07 12:14:44Z

1

Use strrpos() as a lookbehind for the last \\. (No strict rule)

This even works if your tables is TABLES , tab or any other data after the last \\

echo substr($tag_path,0,strrpos($tag_path,'\\'));

Demonstration

edited May 7, 2014 at 12:14

answered May 7, 2014 at 12:07

Shankar Narayana Damodaran

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5 Comments

D T Over a year ago

If i echo tag_path="c:\work\link2\tmp\5699", But i write log tag_path="c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\"

Shankar Narayana Damodaran Over a year ago

@user1497597, It's easy add a slash at the end. See this demo

D T Over a year ago

No, I use code: substr($tag_path,0,strrpos($tag_path,'\\')); if i write log result still: tag_path="c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\"

D T Over a year ago

If i use echo tag_path="c:\work\link2\tmp\5699", But i write log tag_path="c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\". I echo result the same demo. But write log, it still error.

Shankar Narayana Damodaran Over a year ago

What is your expected output ?

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