I shouldn't even be asking this! - Check it out!

[iceomnia]

I teach basic PHP as part of a web and graphic design course for a living and it's anoying that I even have to ask this, however:

$string = "I need to crete a %s string from a placeholder with %s placeholders. As I have %s identical placeholders to use.";

$result = sprintf($sring, "great/amazing", "10", "10");

// Problem is.... I can't use the same again!

// In C# I can just to this:

$string = "I need to crete a {1} string from a placeholder with {2} placeholders. As I have {2} identical placeholders to use.";

$result = SomeFunctionOrMethod($sring, "great/amazing", "10");

// So the second placeholder counts as {2}

So how do I do this in php....?

[phaseonemedia]

<?php
$format = 'The %2$s contains %1$d monkeys';
printf($format, $num, $location);
?>

http://us3.php.net/manual/en/function.sprintf.php

[Shrike]

You can re-use paramers to printf() too

php -r "printf( '%1$s %1$s', 'foo' );"

[NogDog]

[EDIT]After re-reading Shrike's response and then re-reading the man page, I realize that the following is an unnecessary reinvention of the wheel. But it was an interesting exercise anyway -- one that should be ignored by all. 🙂 [/EDIT]

If you want to have arbitrary sequence and repetition of the place-holders, you could do something like:

<?php
function mySprintf()
{
   $args = func_get_args();
   if(!count($args))
   {
      user_error(__FUNCTION__."(): No args given");
      return false;
   }
   $string = array_shift($args);
   $search = array();
   for($ix=1; count($args); $ix++)
   {
      $search['{'.$ix.'}'] = array_shift($args);
   }
   return str_replace(array_keys($search), $search, $string);
}

// sample usage:
$format = "This {2} a {1}. It {2} only a {1}.";
$var1 = 'test';
$var2 = 'is';
echo mySprintf($format, $var1, $var2); //outputs: This is a test. It is only a test.
?>

[Weedpacket]

iceomnia wrote:

I shouldn't even be asking this! ......
I teach basic PHP........

You're right: you shouldn't be asking this. this is why we have manuals.

[man]sprintf[/man]
Example 4. Argument swapping

<?php
$format = 'The %2$s contains %1$d monkeys.
           That\'s a nice %2$s full of %1$d monkeys.';
printf($format, $num, $location);
?>

[iceomnia]

Thanks everyone for your answers, it was the

"%1$s"

method I was looking for.

You're right: you shouldn't be asking this. this is why we have manuals.

Yes indeed, however, I couldn't find the answer at www.php.net, and in addition, sites like this wouldn't exist if everyone just relied on the manuals.

[Weedpacket]

iceomnia wrote:

I couldn't find the answer at www.php.net,

The bit I quoted was example four on the [man]sprintf[/man] manual page. Even you already knew about sprintf. So if you couldn't find the answer, where did you look?

iceomnia wrote:

and in addition, sites like this wouldn't exist if everyone just relied on the manuals.

Despite any appearances to the contrary, I am not a bot. I don't think anyone here is.

[Shrike]

Weedpacket wrote:

Despite any appearances to the contrary, I am not a bot. I don't think anyone here is.

Do you have any evidence to prove this?

[Weedpacket]

Shrike wrote:

Do you have any evidence to prove this?

http://xkcd.com/329/