[RESOLVED] Help with search and replace script...

TheJag

I have a file that has 3 columns separated by 4 spaces. I want to have these four spaces replaced with one ;(semicolon). I've tried several different ways of doing this and have failed. Here is my script:

$filename = 'tidlist.txt';

$open = fopen($filename, 'r+');

function replaceText($text) {
$text = str_replace(" ", ";", $text);
}

fwrite($open, $text);

fclose($open);

Here is a snipet of the file(tidlist.txt) I'm trying open and write to:

192.168.207.209 T1125 192.168.207.209
192.168.105.174 T1126 192.168.105.174
192.168.105.175 T1127 192.168.105.175
192.168.105.173 T1128 192.168.105.173
192.168.242.207 T1129 192.168.242.207
192.168.051.210 T1130 192.168.51.210
192.168.053.084 T1131 192.168.53.84
192.168.128.178 T1132 192.168.128.178

supposed to be 4 spaces between the columns above. Thanks

ravnen

coule be tabs too, try

$text = str_replace("\t", ";", $text);

justsomeone

Hmm... the code you printed doesn't actually do a whole lot.

Your str_replace is in a function but you don't actually call that function, and that function actullay wouldn't work if you did call it.

function replaceText($text) {
$text = str_replace(" ", ";", $text);
}

This function has an private variable (not visible outside the function itself) called $text. If you call this function, passing in a variable as a parameter, it will store a copy of the value of that variable in its private $text variable. Then it will do the str_replace on it. But after that the function finishes, the private variable is destroyed, and the modified value is lost.

Try this:

function replaceText($text) { 
    $text = str_replace("    ", ";", $text);  //Note four spaces between the first set of quotes
    return $text;
}

$filename = 'tidlist.txt';

$text = file_get_contents($filename);

$open = fopen($filename, 'w');

fwrite($open, replaceText($text));

fclose($open);

Watch out for permissions though. Your web server is likely to be an unpriviliged user and so the directory you store the file in will need to be writeable by anyone. This presents its own problems.

TheJag

got it figured out thanks to some help from the newbies board. Here's the code that works:

<? 
$filename = 'tidlist.txt'; 
$lines = file($filename); 

foreach($lines as $line) {$new_lines .= str_replace('    ',';',$line)."\n";} 

$handle = fopen($filename,"w"); 
fwrite($handle,$new_lines); 
fclose($handle); 
?>