Inserting Article Images

Rez

Right, I've got a CMS which displays articles and I would like it so users can input custom images into the articles using bbcode-style inputs as follows:

[img num=5 align=right]

I was using preg_replace but it had difficulty when I was trying to insert the replacement output into a function and instead of inputing the value of num in the bbcode it just input '\1'.

The function queries a database and finds the $num-th (5th in this case) image and should then output the image code according to the alignment as well which is not the part I'm having difficulty with.

I was using something along the line sof this before, but it doesn't seem to like it.

$replaceImages = preg_replace("[img num=(.?)\ align=(.?)]", insertImage("\1"), "$text");

Can anyone offer any help with this?

ajna

I found a solution along these lines worked for me...it may help you out...

I use this particular one to work with a CMS I am developing that allows image uploads to a news story image directory. But it can easily be modified to work with urls pointing to images elsewhere on the web (see the array at the bottom of this message).

I startout with a field I retrieve as $bodytest... let's say it says:

Blah blah blah blah blah.

I set a variable: $images_path to http://www.urlhere.com/ or http://www.urlhere.com/images, etc. ,etc. depending on where you store your images.

I have the following array set up to translate.

$tags=array
(
'#[img=(.?)](.?)[/img]#msi' => '<img src="'.$images_path.'\1" hspace="5" vspace="5" align="\2">'
);

Before I display my $bodytext I run it through the filter:

$bodytext=preg_replace(array_keys($tags), array_values($tags), $bodytext);

Which changes: Blah blah blah blah blah.

into:

<img src="http://www.urlhere.com/shirt.gif" hspace="5" vspace="5" align="right">Blah blah blah blah blah.

I'm going to play around with patterns a bit to throw more variables in as needed.

The full array I found is below, in case it will help suit your larger needs.

It was developed by a guy going by the name of trib4lmaniac -- at an, um, 'other' coding site forum.

I just modified an img tag to suit my needs.

<?
$tags=array
(
'#[b](.?)[/b]#msi' => '<strong>\1</strong>',
'#[i](.?)[/i]#msi' => '<em>\1</em>',
'#[u](.?)[/u]#msi' => '<u>\1</u>',
'#[s](.?)[/s]#msi' => '<s>\1</s>',
'#[url](.?)[/url]#msi' => '<a href="\1">\1</a>',
'#[url=(.?)](.?)[/url]#msi' => '<a href="\1">\2</a>',
'#[img=(.?)]#msi' => '<img src="\1">',
'#[font=(.?)](.?)[/font]#msi' => '<font face="\1">\2</font>',
'#[size=(.?)](.?)[/size]#msi' => '<font size="\1">\2</font>',
'#[color=(.?)](.?)[/color]#msi' => '<font color="\1">\2</font>',
'#[left](.?)[/left]#msi' => '<div align="left">\1</div>',
'#[right](.?)[/right]#msi' => '<div align="right">\1</div>',
'#[center](.*?)[/center]#msi' => '<div align="center">\1</div>'
);
?>

Hope this helps.

Rez

Thanks a lot for your reply. It seems to be along the lines of what I'm after so it's very much appreciated.

I will endevour to try and adapt it for the purpose I am trying to use it for. In the meantime, if anyone has an even better solution then that would be very welcome, too!

Thanks again.

Rez

Ok, it seems to be doing the trick so far. However, I can't seem to get variables to work which are inside the array. Why do you think this is?

ajna

Have you made sure that you are 'escaping' the variable?

ie: '<img src="'. $images_path.' \1">'

the array info is already inside single quotes -- then you have the necessary double quotes for the img src tag.

You need to 'step outside' to enter the variable by using '. before your variable and then .' to return to the array info.

See the bolded bits above.

Does that help?

Rez

Oh I see, I was forgetting it was single quotes. Thanks for that 🙂

I've pretty much got it all sorted now but there's one thing still annoying me which is the fact that if you don't want the user to enter a certain criteria into the tag, then how can it be ignored, or what if they enter the criteria in a different order.

For example:
I've defined the input in the array as [img num=3 width=100 height=50 align=5] for example, but it won't work properly if you change the order or want to exclude one of the criteria.

I hope I've explained that sufficiently well.

Thanks again

ajna

Sorry Rez -- I had literally just finished finding that solution when I found your question and I haven't had a chance to even mess around with it since.

Hopefully someone else has some ideas.

Kev