asked on

replace string template in php

Hi ,
In php I have a returned string as
$message='Enter message[phone][lastname][lastname][firstname]'

How do I replace the [ ] with actual values like
$phone='424234' and needs to go where [phone] is;

$phone='4444';
str_replace('[phone]',$phone,$template) ;
'didnt work'
and so the message will now have the data values inserted?

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Dave Baldwin

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Chris Stanyon

Here's an option using regular expression (preg_replace):

<?php
$message = 'Enter message [phone] [lastname] [firstname]';

$patterns = array(
	'/\[phone\]/',
	'/\[lastname\]/',
	'/\[firstname\]/'
);

$replacements = array(
	'123456',
	'stanyon',
	'chris'
);

echo preg_replace($patterns, $replacements, $message);

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Ray Paseur

It looks like you're dealing with string data. This is good background information:
http://php.net/manual/en/language.types.string.php#language.types.string.details

PHP has HEREDOC notation that is useful for templates. Heed, but do not be put off by the warning on the man page.
http://php.net/manual/en/language.types.string.php#language.types.string.syntax.heredoc

To see how it works, follow the $name and $phone variables in this script.
http://iconoun.com/demo/temp_jagguy.php

<?php // demo/temp_jagguy.php

/**
 * See: http://www.experts-exchange.com/Programming/Languages/Scripting/PHP/Q_28618134.html
 */
ini_set('display_errors', TRUE);
ini_set('log_errors',     TRUE);
error_reporting(E_ALL);


// A DATA SET THAT WE NEED IN OUR OUTPUT STRING
$name  = 'JagGuy';
$phone = '424234';

// DEMONSTRATE THE USE OF HEREDOC TEMPLATES
$template = <<<EOD
<p>
This is a message to $name<br>
The phone $phone is here!
</p>
EOD;

// SHOW THE TEMPLATE WITH THE INCLUDED DATA SET
echo $template;

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