using regular expressions to parse a string.

cmose

Ok, well the title isn't terribly descriptive but that's the best I could do to keep it short. I'm fairly new to php and I'm stuck on something: I have a text file with some fields in it that I want to import into a date field in mysql, the problem is that the field in the text file is formated thusly: 10/10/2004 or 7/1/2003 (e.g., the mm/dd is not consistent, only when needed). Since the text field is in that format trying to import the text file into mysql just doesn't work. I was hoping to come up with some sort of regular expression to convert that string in the text file into a mysql compatible date and then insert that directly into the db. However, I'm bollocks'd when it comes to regular expressions and am just plain stuck on this thing. Any help would be very appreciated. Thanks!!

LordShryku

If you can grab the date, you can convert it using [man]date[/man] and [man]strtotime[/man].

$mysql_date = date("Y-m-d",strtotime($date_to_change));

cmose

thanks,
i'll give that a shot. Appreciate the help!

cmose

hmnnnn...
well I'm running into a bit of mysql error and I was hoping someone might be able to point out the flaw as I'm just not seeing it:

<?php
	$table_name = "filing_dates";
	$dbname = "web";
	$filename = ".htdbaccess";
	$file = fopen($filename, "r");
	$contents = fread($file, filesize($filename));
	fclose($file);

$dbvars = explode("\n", $contents);
$dbuser = stripslashes($dbvars[0]);
$dbpass = stripslashes($dbvars[1]);
$host = "localhost";

$connection = @mysql_connect($host, $dbuser, $dbpass) or die(@mysql_error('connection'));
$db = @mysql_select_db($dbname, $connection) or die(@mysql_error('db'));

//$result = @mysql_query($sql, $connection) or die(@mysql_error());

//return $result;
$filename = "ANSWER.txt";
$file = fopen($filename, "r");
$contents = fread($file, filesize($filename));
fclose($file);

$lines = explode("\n", $contents);

for($i=0; $i<count($lines); $i++){
	$variables = explode(";", $lines[$i]);
	$mysql_date = date("Y-m-d", strtotime($variables[0]));
	$sql = "INSERT INTO filing_date $mysql_date, $variables[1], $variables[2]";
	mysql_query($sql, $connection) or die(mysql_error());
}
?>

now this is the error I'm getting in the browser when trying to run this file:
You have an error in your SQL syntax near '2002-07-29, AK, 01/01/02-07/26/02' at line 1

and I'm just not sure what the issue is.
thanks much!

LordShryku

Your SQL syntax is wrong. Look at the manual.

http://www.mysql.com/documentation/mysql/bychapter/manual_SQL_Syntax.html#INSERT

cmose

thanks,
I don't know how I missed that as it wasn't even remotely right. Thanks much, looks like I needed the extra eyes