using ereg or preg_match

I need to check if [url]http://[/url] was inserted at a text field
the best way is to use preg_match to do this or ereg?

// get host name from URL
preg_match("/^{(http:\/\/)?([^\/]+)/i",}
"http://www.php.net/index.html", $matches);
$host = $matches[2];

strpos() would be simpler:

if (strpos("http://www.php.net/index.html", "http://") !== false) {
	//http:// is within the string
}

or perhaps to check that it is the starting portion

if (strpos("http://www.php.net/index.html", "http://") === 0) {
	//http:// begins the string
}

You might have to do a strtolower() first to be certain.

If you really want to use regex, then use Perl compatible regex, i.e. by preg_match()

if (strpos($string,"http://") === false) {
  //Yarr, it be missing Scurvy Jim-lad;
} else {
  //It be there ya' old salty seadog;
}

Originally posted by onion2k

if (strpos($string,"http://") === false) {
  //Yarr, it be missing Scurvy Jim-lad;
} else {
  //It be there ya' old salty seadog;
}

[/B]

EDIT: Beaten by Laserlight. 😉

I have not noticed before that strpos can be used this way.

My goal is to check if http://was inserted on the link field and if not to concatenate it.

On the final link to be recorded on database

Thank´s a lot