trim data then store as variable?

[illushinz]

I am gathering a variable with $HTTP_POST_VARS['variable_name'];

However, the variable looks like:
"Last_name, First_name: ID"

I want to store only the ID as a variable, the number will be between 1 and 3 characters.

Thanks!

[bastien]

http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.split.php

$id=split($HTTP_POST_VARS['variable_name'],":");
$userID = id[1]; //being the second element in the array

hth