[RESOLVED] preg_match() dilemma

[prkarpi]

if (preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z0-9]{7,}[0-9]{2,}$/", $_POST['username'])) {...

This script takes username and looks that it contains a-z and 0-9 only with minimum of seven characters in the first part (this part works perfectly). The second part of preg indicates that username must contain digits with two(2) chars minimum - this part does not work. (or at least does not work if digits are not consequently placed). Any suggestion? Thanks.

[NogDog]

Are you looking for at least 2 adjacent digits, or just that there are at least 2 digits even if not adjacent?

[prkarpi]

NogDog thanks for reply. I am looking for at least 2 chars - not adjacent.

[NogDog]

It might be tough to put all the requirements into one regexp. I might just do something like:

if(
   strlen($_POST['user_name']) >= 7 &&
   ctype_alnum($_POST['user_name']) &&
   preg_match('/[0-9].*[0-9]/', $_POST['user_name'])
) {
   // OK
}

[prkarpi]

Thanks once again NogDog. I haven't checked the code, but I can see that it might suite me well. However, same problem might arise as by looking at this code. In the preg_match part where you specify "preg_match('/[0-9].*[0-9]/', $_POST['user_name'])" I know that I can add {2,} to indicate how many digits I want, but the initial problem arises that these digits have to be consequent or code will error out (or am I wrong?). For instance if the user wants its name to be "Bob2Smith2" it does contain two digits but the regression won't see it this way, for these two digits are not together. I have tried using "preg_match_all()" without luck. Any further suggestions. Thanks again!

[Weedpacket]

The pattern NogDog gave does require two digits: one to match the first [0-9] and another one to match the other one. And it allows other stuff to be in between.

[NogDog]

I suppose you could do:

'/([0-9].*){2,}/'

I'm not sure that it would be any better or worse performance-wise, and it certainly doesn't save any keystrokes (it's one character longer).

[prkarpi]

Thanks to both of you. This was very helpful. I worked around your code [0-9].*[0-9]. It helped me.