preg_match variables

amunoz

I am using the following:

$content = file_get_contents('http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=36.37870&lon=-86.45310&f6=1&mp=1');

preg_match('#<td align="left">Nashville</td>
<td align="left">(.*)</td>#', $content, $match);

$price = $match[1];

the above works, but I am now trying to use a variable intead of hard coding:

$city=Nashville;
$content = file_get_contents('http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=36.37870&lon=-86.45310&f6=1&mp=1');

preg_match('#<td align="left">$city</td>
<td align="left">(.*)</td>#', $content, $match);

I have tried all kinds of combinations like '/$city/', {$city}, but I can't get it to take my variable.

Please Help. been strugling for days on this one.

Desdinova

try <td align="left">'.$city.'</td>

Desdinova

using the single quote around a string prevents php from parsing the strings within. You can use the double quote if you want to parse strings within strings, but generally I'd say it's best practice to use single quotes and concat a string using the dot.

example that works:
$string = "some string $var bla";

example that does not work:
$string = 'some string $var bla';

example that is best practice in my opinion:
$string = 'some string '.$var.' bla';

nevvermind

Concatenation 101.
I've also added the "B?[/B]" thingy, just in case. Carefull, thou: now your match is one index higher, cuz of the new parentheses.

Besides, now you can have the expression in a single line. Just for looks...

$city = "Nashville";

$preg = "#<td align=\"left\">" . $city . "</td>(\n|\s)?<td align=\"left\">(.*)</td>#";

preg_match($preg, $content, $match);

echo $match[2];

$match[0] = whole sentence
$match[1] = (\n|\s)
$match[2] = (.*)
Bah, you know all this.

LE: Damn! 2 posts ahead of me. Jeez, what a forum. 😃
LE2: Modified with double quotes on Desdinova's tips. Didn't know that. thx, Desdinova

Desdinova

next to that, things like \r, \n and \t will only parse when in double quotes.

sorry about the multiple posts.

amunoz

You guys are awesome. thank you so much for your quick replies. worked like a charm!🙂