hi Gerard, I didn't think you were complaining :)
the problem is in [/url] $foo = '/\[url\]([a-z]+://.*?)\[/url\]/'; should be $foo = '/\[url\]([a-z]+://.*?)\[\/url\]/'; that "/" was ending the pattern, and so preg_* was trying to read "url\]/" as closing information, and probably giving an odd error about "u" not being appropriate that's why # worked, because there were no other # in the string. Hope that answers the question (properly this time!) Take care, Greg ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gerard Samuel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Greg Beaver" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2003 12:24 AM Subject: Re: [PHP] Re: Dynamic Regex > What you suggested is what I was trying before. My original example > was incorrect. > Here is an good example for the variable holding the pattern -> > $foo = '/\[url\]([a-z]+://.*?)\[/url\]/'; > This pattern would not work, but if I change it to > $foo = '#\[url\]([a-z]+://.*?)\[/url\]#'; > It does work. > > Not complaining but just trying to figure out why the first version > doesn't work for future references. > Thanks > > Greg Beaver wrote: > > >Hi Gerard, > > > >all the preg_* functions require delimiters surrounding regular expressions. > > > >$foo = '\[this\](.*?)that'; > > > >should be by default: > > > >$foo = '/\[this\](.*?)that/'; > > > >the code you tried uses # as the delimiter instead of /, an option preg_* > >allows > > > >Take care, > >Greg > >-- > >phpDocumentor > >http://www.phpdoc.org > > > >"Gerard Samuel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message > >[EMAIL PROTECTED]">news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]... > > > > > >> The example doesn't have to make sense, but Im looking for the correct > >>syntax for $foo. I was trying -> > >>$foo = '\[this\](.*?)that'; > >>$bar = 'the other'; > >> > >>$str = preg_replace($foo, $bar, $other_string); > >> > >>But that doesn't work. I came across an example where the syntax of > >>$foo is in -> > >>$foo = '#\[this\](.*?)that#'; > >> > >>The second syntax of $foo works. I was wondering on the meaning of # in > >>the string?? > >> > >>Thanks > >> > >>-- > >>Gerard Samuel > >>http://www.trini0.org:81/ > >>http://dev.trini0.org:81/ > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > Gerard Samuel > http://www.trini0.org:81/ > http://dev.trini0.org:81/ > > > > -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php