regexp - breaking number into peices

[matt_wonders]

I think this should be simple but its got me stumped. can someone give me an example to work with?

what I'm doing is pulling a phone number out of a database (this part is done) but its all chunked together:
1234567890
so I pull them out of the DB and set:
$t_ph_num=1234567890
but I want it to look like this
set 3 variables to a certain section of the $t_ph_num
so:
$t_ph_area=the first 3 numbers in $t_ph_num (or 123)
$t_ph_prefix=the fourth thru sixth numbers of $t_ph_num (or 456)
and lastly
$t_ph_suffix=the seventh thru tenth number of $t_ph_num (or 7890)

I think what Iooking for is 3 different expressions that will pull out the specific part of the number I'm after. but haven't a clue how to write it. if someone can give me a simple example (I've been looking at extremely complicated ones and my head hurts now) of how one would look I'd appreciate it.

Thanks

[zeb]

If the number is always stored as 10 digits, then you could do this:

$t_ph_num = '1234567890';
$t_ph_area = substr($t_ph_num, 0, 3);
$t_ph_prefix = substr($t_ph_num, 3, 3);
$t_ph_suffix = substr($t_ph_num, 6, 4);

In this case, the substr() function takes three arguments: the first is the string to search, the second is the starting position of the sub-string to be found, and the third is the length of the sub-string. The second argument is given on a zero-based position system. The first letter is always at position 0.

[matt_wonders]

that did just what I need it too. and since I'm never going to have a blank entry (i've got the DB set to default to 1234567890 I'll just say if the number is that its empty and not show them anything.

Thanks