explode() splitting string

tbobker

I want to parse my css file and split it up into its individual components, first split with { then with : then with ;and } so i can get all the individual values.

I seem to beable to only spit once with explode and { and wont let me split it again?

NogDog

Here's what I came up with:

<?php
header("Content-Type: text/plain");
$text = file_get_contents("http://www.charles-reace.com/include/style.css") or
       die("Couldn't read css");
$css = array();
$sections = explode('}', $text);
foreach($sections as $section)
{
   $parts = explode('{', $section);
   $selector = trim($parts[0]);
   $elements = explode(';', $parts[1]);
   foreach($elements as $element)
   {
      $bits = explode(':', $element);
      if(count($bits) == 2)
      {
         $css[$selector][trim($bits[0])] = trim($bits[1]);
      }
   }
}
print_r($css);
?>

tbobker

Good work its just what i wanted however has it created a multi dimensional array, if so im not sure how to get just one part of it?

NogDog

Perhaps a clarification of what you want to do with the data would help determine how it should be stored?

tbobker

i want to create a myspace editor like this http://www.yourcoolprofile.com/Generators/Layout_Designer/

NogDog

Don't know if this will help, but here's a modified version that adds a reversal the process, converting the array back to CSS text:

<?php
header("Content-Type: text/plain");
// grab a CSS file and parse it into an array:
$text = file_get_contents("http://www.charles-reace.com/include/style.css") or
       die("Couldn't read css");
$css = array();
$sections = explode('}', $text);
foreach($sections as $section)
{
   $parts = explode('{', $section);
   $selector = trim($parts[0]);
   $elements = explode(';', $parts[1]);
   foreach($elements as $element)
   {
      $bits = explode(':', $element);
      if(count($bits) == 2)
      {
         $css[$selector][trim($bits[0])] = trim($bits[1]);
      }
   }
}
echo "CSS converted to an array:\n";
print_r($css);

// reverse the process:
echo "Converted back to CSS:\n";
foreach($css as $selector => $styles)
{
   echo "$selector {\n";
   foreach($styles as $attribute => $value)
   {
      echo "  $attribute: $value;\n";
   }
   echo "}\n";
}
?>

tbobker

Of course i was trying to do that and its so obvious, thanks for the help i will let you know of my progress.

tbobker

nogdog your excellent help is once again needed. I have successfully implemented a protoype GUI however javascript is changing some values. I m not sure how to write back the modified css - find the element in the array to change.

how can i find a element in the array.

sorry update:

really or i need to know is one part of the array construction. I understand it all apart from the last part:

<?php
 if(count($bits) == 2)
      {
        $file[$selector][trim($bits[0])] = trim($bits[1]);
      }
?>

im not sure what this is doing, i looked up trim and it gets rid of white space, presumably the string before : and after : but i dont understand what it does. I echoed out the whole variable array $file and it printed all the values in the style sheet but what is count($bits) ==2 and the rest. Are you making sure that there is a value before and after the ":" colon?