ereg_replace help

[Anon]

Hi all,

I would like to use ereg_replace to replace some text in $contents with the use of myFunction. ie:

<?
function myFunction($str) {
print "str in myFunction = $str";
return $str;
//just return back the argument
}
?>

<?
$contents = ereg_replace("(a.b)|(c.d)",
myFunction("\1")."*".myFunction("\2")
,$contents);
?>

The result is ok,
"abb|ccd" is replaced with "abb*ccd", however when i print the argument inside the myFunction, the value is "\1", not "abb".
It's a great problem to me coz i need to do checking and modification of the argument in this function. please help.

SK

[Anon]

okay, first of all, you've got to use preg_replace, with the mysterious /e modifier.

this is kind of like eval(), but enough not like it to be really confusing.

effectively, this treats the replacement string as if it's just been echoed; evaluating functions and variables as normal.

$contents = preg_replace("/(a.b)|(c.d)/e","' myFunction('\1').'*'.myFunction('\2')'",$contents);

note particularly the quoting of the replacement string: the whole thing is a string: in this context

" ' text '.$variable "

is rendered as

eval(" echo ' stuff '.$variable ") ;

the reason your function appears to be partly working is not because it's returning 'abb', but is returning '\1' which is then being replaced with the backreference.

hope this helps.

--
rad