[RESOLVED] str_replace and ampersand

[kansaschuck]

Well... this is annoying. I can't get this simple str_replace to remove a '&'.

I have extracted this link:

$sprint_user_photo_link = 'http://pictures.sprintpcs.com//mmps/RECIPIENT/001_xxxxb848d2ff0ca3_1/2.2?inviteToken=NEqrxxJ5m8awcUcLo7qL&limitsize= ';

and in my happy world the code below should work

$image_url = str_replace('&limitsize=', '', $sprint_user_photo_link);

I've tried different ways and most times it does nothing and if is use str_replace just only '&' it does replace it with '&'

confused in kansas

Just need to clip those last characters &limitsize=

[rowanparker]

Try ereg_replace():

$image_url = ereg_replace('&limitsize=', '', $sprint_user_photo_link);

Or '&' might be a special character so it might need to be escaped like so:

$image_url = str_replace('\&limitsize=', '', $sprint_user_photo_link);

Neither tested, just guessing.

[NogDog]

I copied and pasted your code, and it worked fine. Perhaps you are outputting the $sprint_user_photo_link variable instead of the $image_url that you save the replaced text in?

[kansaschuck]

Thanks for the suggestions. I know we are in the neighborhood with the 'special character' issues.

but neither of those worked. I was also looking for some clipper commands. Like go to the end of this string and chop off 1 character.

lot of remove carriage control code. (trim) But nothing yet that just says .... kill the last character.

Anyway the '&' is very special. grrrrrrr

kc

[rowanparker]

You could extract just that section of the sting (the bit without '&limitsize=' in).
Like so:

$var = substr($var, 0, strlen($var) - strlen("&limitsize="));

Try that, I haven't, lol.

[kansaschuck]

NogDog wrote:

I copied and pasted your code, and it worked fine. Perhaps you are outputting the $sprint_user_photo_link variable instead of the $image_url that you save the replaced text in?

Maybe it's different php code level. I think I have the displays right because I did everything but the '&' and get this output:

Sprint user photo link after cleanup: http://pictures.sprintpcs.com//mmps/RECIPIENT/001_26xxx848d2ff0ca3_1/2.2?inviteToken=NEqrxxx5m8awcUcLo7qL& .

I'll keep trying.

[suntra]

What's happens if you only replace the "&" character ?

[rowanparker]

If you are bothered, my code worked perfectly.

$sprint_user_photo_link = 'http://pictures.sprintpcs.com//mmps/RECIPIENT/001_xxxxb848d2ff0ca3_1/2.2?inviteToken=NEqrxxJ5m8awcUcLo7qL&limitsize= ';
$image_url = $var = substr(trim($sprint_user_photo_link), 0, strlen($sprint_user_photo_link) - strlen("&limitsize="));

echo $image_url;
// http://pictures.sprintpcs.com//mmps/RECIPIENT/001_xxxxb848d2ff0ca3_1/2.2?inviteToken=NEqrxxJ5m8awcUcLo7qL

[kansaschuck]

suntra wrote:

What's happens if you only replace the "&" character ?

code here:

$image_url = str_replace('limitsize=', '', $sprint_user_photo_link);



echo nl2br(".  \n Sprint user photo link after cleanup:  $image_url   ");






$image_url = str_replace('&', '', $image_url);

//   put in here <---           replace this, with this, in here

echo nl2br(".  \n Sprint user photo link after cleanup #2 for '&':  $image_url   .");

Output below: --------------------------------------------------------------------

this is snatch Sprint photo link . Sprint photo link is (before clean) http://pictures.sprintpcs.com//mmps/RECIPIENT/001_266db848d2ff0ca3_1/2.2?inviteToken=NEqrJUJ5m8awcUcLo7qL&limitsize= .

..

Sprint user photo link after cleanup: http://pictures.sprintpcs.com//mmps/RECIPIENT/001_266db848d2ff0ca3_1/2.2?inviteToken=NEqrJUJ5m8awcUcLo7qL& .

Sprint user photo link after cleanup #2 for '&': http://pictures.sprintpcs.com//mmps/RECIPIENT/001_266db848d2ff0ca3_1/2.2?inviteToken=NEqrJUJ5m8awcUcLo7qLamp; .

[rowanparker]

Like i said, mine works fine.

Why mess around when you have something that works?

[kansaschuck]

rowanparker wrote:

Like i said, mine works fine.

Why mess around when you have something that works?

Rowan, Thanks but
It didn't work for me. Unless there's some other mistake I'm missing.

$image_url = $var = substr(trim($sprint_user_photo_link), 0, strlen($sprint_user_photo_link) - strlen("&limitsize=")); 

echo nl2br(".  \n Sprint user photo link after cleanup:  $image_url   ");

output:

Sprint user photo link after cleanup: http://pictures.sprintpcs.com//mmps/RECIPIENT/001_266db848d2ff0ca3_1/2.2?inviteToken=NEqrJUJ5m8awcUcLo7qL&

This is approaching 'bug' territory. It found it and replaced it but ignored the '&'.

In some doc I'm seeing (and it also show in my reply before this one) that '&' is sometimes represented by '&'.

Still researching.

[rowanparker]

Try:

$image_url = $var = substr(trim($sprint_user_photo_link), 0, strlen($sprint_user_photo_link) - strlen("&limitsize=") + 1);

echo nl2br(".  \n Sprint user photo link after cleanup:  $image_url   ");[

Should work, unless it just does not like your, lol.

[NogDog]

kansaschuck wrote:

...
In some doc I'm seeing (and it also show in my reply before this one) that '&' is sometimes represented by '&'.

Still researching.

Are you doing a "view source" in your browser to see what is really there, as opposed to just what the browser itself is showing?

If it might be "&", you could handle either/or with either of these:

$image_url = str_replace(array('&limitsize=', '&limitsize=', '', $sprint_user_photo_link);
// ...or...
$image_url = preg_replace('/&(amp;)?limitsize=/', '', $sprint_user_photo_link);

[kansaschuck]

rowanparker wrote:

Like i said, mine works fine.

Why mess around when you have something that works?

this worked for me.

$image_url = str_replace('&limitsize=', '', $sprint_user_photo_link);

whacha think?

[rowanparker]

If it works, keep it!