Preg_Match help

[NZ_Kiwis]

I'm getting names from a XML file of students, the names are like this

JOHN/SMITH
WENDY/ADAMS

I'm getting the name from this string like this (as there is other info on the name node which I want to split it from)

	} elseif (preg_match('([A-Z]+/[A-Z]+)', $NameItem, $m)) {
		$StudentName = str_replace(" ", "",$m[0]);
	}

This works however some students have code in their name like

F/JOHN/ADAMS

HOw can I get a name that have two / in it?

[dalecosp]

Is the "F" a code, or is his name "F John Adams"?

[NZ_Kiwis]

F is a code meaning final year

[NogDog]

Maybe something like:

<?php
$test = array(
   "blah blah F/FIRST/LAST blah blah",
   "blah blah FIRST/LAST blah blah"
);
foreach($test as $string) {
   if(preg_match('#\b(([A-Z])/)?(\S+)/(\S+)\b#', $string, $matches)) {
      printf(
         "<p>Flag: &#37;s, First: %s, Last: %s</p>\n",
         (!empty($matches[2])) ? $matches[2] : '[N/A]',
         $matches[3],
         $matches[4]
      );
   }
}

[NZ_Kiwis]

I really struggle with preh match, what does this line mean?

if(preg_match('#\b(([A-Z])/)?(\S+)/(\S+)\b#', $string, $matches)) {

I thought this would work...

  } elseif (preg_match('(R/[A-Z]+/[A-Z]+)', $NameItem, $m)) { 

[NogDog]

'#\b(([A-Z])/)?(\S+)/(\S+)\b#'

# - using that as the regexp delimiter so that I don't have to escape "/" nor get confused with the internal "()" characters
\b - word boundary assertion (space, punctuation, start/end of string, etc.)
B[/B] - used to define sub-patterns that will be stored as separate elements in the maches array
? - 1 or zero repetitions modifier, making the "flag" portion optional (similar to "*", which is 0-to-many repetitions)
\S - any non-white-space character (to ensure a name like "O'Reilly" will match, too