[RESOLVED] Using preg_match() to validate last name

Pikachu2000

I need to validate the last name field on a form and have spent the last 3 hours reading tutorials and docs on using preg_match, but I just can't get my head wrapped around it.

I need to validate the field as follows:

1 or more upper or lower case letter
followed by
(0 or 1) hyphens OR spaces
followed by
(1 or more) upper or lower case letters if there is a hyphen OR space

In other words, zeta-jones, zeta jones, and Zeta Jones are all OK, but 5Zeta-jones, Zeta--jones, zeta-Jone9s, -jones, and zeta- are not.

The best I've been able to come with up is:

/+[^a-zA-Z](-|:space:){0,1}[^a-zA-Z]+/

and that is not working. In fact, I suspect I'm probably not even close. Any help anyone can give me in understanding this would be appreciated.

laserlight

Formulating the pattern systematically from what you described, you can try '/^[a-z]+((-| )?[a-z]+)?$/i'.

Pikachu2000

laserlight;10941908 wrote:
Formulating the pattern systematically from what you described, you can try '/^[a-z]+((-| )?[a-z]+)?$/i'.

That seems to work as I need it to. Thank you very much. Is there a tutorial that you know of that does a good job of explaining the structure and syntax of regex, rather than just provide a bunch of snippets with descriptions of what they do?

nrg_alpha

Pikachu2000;10941910 wrote:
Is there a tutorial that you know of that does a good job of explaining the structure and syntax of regex, rather than just provide a bunch of snippets with descriptions of what they do?

The ultimate: Mastering Regular Expressions (well worth the purchase, trust me).

Additional online references:

http://www.phpfreaks.com/tutorial/regular-expressions-part1---basic-syntax
http://www.regular-expressions.info/
http://weblogtoolscollection.com/regex/regex.php

Pikachu2000

nrg_alpha;10941912 wrote:
The ultimate: Mastering Regular Expressions (well worth the purchase, trust me).

Additional online references:

http://www.phpfreaks.com/tutorial/regular-expressions-part1---basic-syntax
http://www.regular-expressions.info/
http://weblogtoolscollection.com/regex/regex.php

Excellent. I'll go through those sites and I'll have a look a the book next time I'm at Barnes and Noble. Thanks.