str_replace problem - Help! - PHPBuilder Forums

str_replace problem - Help!

shawbapmp

Hi PHP'ers,

I'm a little embarassed about this, but it appears I am unclear on the concept of str_replace. Hopefully you can set me straight.

I have a little test PHP file to take a form field input and use it to replace some text in a plain text file. But it keeps replacing the search string with blanks and, in local test mode, with funny little square boxes at the end of the file.

I've tried using ereg_replace instead, with the same result. Below is a copy of the PHP file code; very simple as you can see. You can try it yourself if you make a test text file that has a line like "Here is some Times Roman text."

<?php
if(!$_POST['B1']) {
echo ('<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<title>Test Input Form</title>
</head>
<body>
<form method="POST" action="'.$PHP_SELF.'">
<p><input type="text" name="FontName" Value="Enter Font" size="20"></p>
<p><input type="submit" value="Submit" name="B1"></p>
</form></body></html>');
} ;
$hFile = fopen( "test1.txt", "r+" );
$orig_file = file_get_contents("test1.txt");
// Test file contains two lines, one says "Here is some Times Roman text."
$new_file = str_replace("Times Roman", $FontName, $orig_file);
fwrite($hFile, $new_file);
fclose( $hFile );
if( isset( $B1 ) ) {
echo 'File Written. Open Test1.txt in Notepad to see results. New Font Name is: ' ;
echo $FontName;
} ;
?>

Why won't this work?

toplay

The variable $FontName will only be created if you have the register_globals setting on. It should be left off for security reasons and you need to program accordingly. This means using $POST in this instance. Set the variable before trying to use it in the replace - Example:

// set default to some font instead of blank or give error if field is empty
$FontName = (isSet($_POST['FontName']) && 'Enter Font' != $_POST['FontName']) ? $_POST['FontName'] : '';

hth.

shawbapmp

Hi HTH,

Actually, I had thought of that and I had used $_POST['FontName'] directly in the str_replace line instead of the plain $FontName; and that did exactly the same thing...blanks and little boxes at the end of the Test1.txt file.

I tried your code line exactly as you had written it...same result.

Any other ideas?

toplay

LOL, "hth" stands for "hope that helps".

The file_get_contents() doesn't need the file opend first with fopen(). Also, put in some error checking.

Try something like this instead:

<?PHP
if ((isSet($_POST['B1'])) && ('Submit' == $_POST['B1'])) {
    $filename = 'test1.txt';
    // set default to some font instead of blank or give error if field is empty
    $FontName = (isSet($_POST['FontName']) && 'Enter Font' != $_POST['FontName']) ? $_POST['FontName'] : '';
    if (empty($FontName)) {
        echo 'Must enter a font name<br>';

} else {

    $orig_file = file_get_contents($filename);
    if (!$orig_file)
        exit("Could not read $filename");

    // Test file contains two lines, one says "Here is some Times Roman text."
    $new_file = str_replace('Times Roman', $FontName, $orig_file);

    $hFile = fopen($filename, 'w');
    if (!$hFile)
        exit("Could not open $filename for writing out<br>");

    $result = fwrite($hFile, $new_file);
    if (!$result)
        exit("Could not write to $filename<br>");
    $result = fclose($hFile);
    if($result) {
        echo "File Written. Open $filename in Notepad to see results. New Font Name is: $FontName";
    } else {
        echo "Could not close $filename<br>";
    }
    exit;
}
}

?>
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<title>Test Input Form</title>
</head>
<body>
<form method="POST" action="<?PHP echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>">
<p><input type="text" name="FontName" Value="Enter Font" size="20"></p>
<p><input type="submit" value="Submit" name="B1"></p>
</form></body></html>

🙂

shawbapmp

Hi ToPlay,

Well, I guess that shows the extent of my newbie-ness, not knowing what HTH meant. And don't call me LOL! That stands for Little Old Lady, right? Just kidding.

Your code snippet works like magic. I agree that your code is far more elegant than mine, but I still don't see exactly where mine fails. Perhaps you could point me to where I'm going wrong, just for my education.

I'm assuming that it has something to do with my fopen("test1.txt", "r+") in front of the get contents line. Am I right?

By the way, thanks for the code block. I will be using it big time.