Parse a config file in PHP (key value)

Question

I have a config file which structure looks like this:

#comment1
key1 value1

#comment2
key-key2 value2

#comment3
key3 value3 value4

I have been trying to parse this in PHP with the following code:

$lines = explode(PHP_EOL, $string);
$config = [];

foreach ($lines as $l) {
    preg_match("/^(?P<key>\w+)\s+(?P<value>.*)/", $l, $matches);

    if (isset($matches['key'])) {
        $config[$matches['key']] = $matches['value'];
    }
}

However I am not able to get the regex right, the above regex is only functioning for the line with #comment1, it does not parse key-key2 properly and #comment3 key-value has 2 values which should just be 1 string inside the array.

Output I wish to have:

[
   'key1' => 'value1',
   'key-key2' => 'value2',
   'key3' => 'value3 value4'
]

Anyone able to help me with the regex?

Line by line (I am exploding on PHP_EOL (newline) in the string content) — Dennis Smink
– Dennis Smink, Commented Sep 5, 2019 at 13:23
$lines is the array, and I foreach through it, $l is the line itself inside the foreach. — Dennis Smink
– Dennis Smink, Commented Sep 5, 2019 at 13:25
You might want to just explode the line on space and check that count = 2. — AbraCadaver
– AbraCadaver, Commented Sep 5, 2019 at 13:26

Nigel Ren · Accepted Answer · 2019-09-05 13:31:17Z

2

It should be simple enough not to have to use regex as you can check for # at the start of the line easily enough and then use explode() with a space and limit of 2 parts to extract the key and data...

$lines = explode(PHP_EOL, $string);
$config = [];

foreach ($lines as $l) {
    if ( !empty($l) && $l[0] != '#' ) {
        list($key, $value) = explode(" ", $l, 2);
        $config[$key] = $value;
    }
}
print_r($config);

answered Sep 5, 2019 at 13:31

Nigel Ren

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1 Comment

Dennis Smink Over a year ago

Great solution actually, never thought of this. Thank you!

AbraCadaver · Accepted Answer · 2019-09-05 13:30:29Z

1

Using your existing code; just explode each line on space limiting to 2 elements and check that you get 2 elements:

$lines = explode(PHP_EOL, $string);

foreach ($lines as $l) {
    if(count($parts = explode(' ' , $l, 2)) == 2) {
        $config[$parts[0]] = $parts[1];   
    }
}

answered Sep 5, 2019 at 13:30

AbraCadaver

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1 Comment

Nigel Ren Over a year ago

This has problems when the comment has a space in it.

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