I don't know about preg but how about this monster? $str = "I'm okay now aren't I. Do I work? 'mm";
while(eregi(' [a-z\']{1,3} ', $str)) $str = eregi_replace(' [a-z\']{1,3} ', ' ', $str); while(eregi(' [a-z\']{1,3}([^a-z\' ])', $str)) $str = eregi_replace(' [a-z\']{1,3}([^a-z\' ])', '\1', $str); while(eregi('([^a-z\' ])[a-z\']{1,3} ', $str)) $str = eregi_replace('([^a-z\' ])[a-z\']{1,3} ', '\1', $str); $str = eregi_replace('^[a-z\']{1,3} ', '', $str); $str = eregi_replace('^[a-z\']{1,3}([^a-z\'])', '\1', $str); $str = eregi_replace(' [a-z\']{1,3}$', '', $str); $str = eregi_replace('([^a-z\' ])[a-z\']{1,3}$', '\1', $str); echo $str; -----Original Message----- From: Edward van Bilderbeek - Bean IT [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 11:09 To: Michael Kimsal; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [PHP] Regex function needed after some puzzling I came to this: $str = "One as a start. This is or was a test for short words, although an, should be deleted to."; $str = preg_replace(array("/\b[A-Za-z']{1,3}\b/", "/[ ]{1}([ ]{1}|[,]{1}|[.]{1}|[:]{1})/"), array("", "\\1"), $str); print $str; which means: first: replace all 1,2 or 3 character occurrences by nothing.... after that, replace all spaces that are followed by one comma, or one period, or one : by that comma, period or : hope this is what you wanted? Edward ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bas Jobsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Michael Kimsal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 1:10 AM Subject: Re: [PHP] Regex function needed > Op donderdag 07 februari 2002 23:58, schreef Michael Kimsal: > > Looking for a regex (preg or ereg) to remove > > all 1, 2 and 3 character words. > > <? > $string="over deze regex loop ik nu al de hele dag en een uur te piekeren. 't > wil niet! of wel! l'a."; > $string=" ".$string; > while (preg_match("/\W\w{1,3}\W/i",$string)) > $string = preg_replace("/\W\w{1,3}\W/i", " ", $string); > $string=substr($string,1); > echo $string; > ?> > > -- > PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) > To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php > -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php