Need some help with message board posts

[unrelenting]

I am trying to modify my message board posts in a way that it will display any <img> images that are located in my smileys folder but only display a <a href> link if they are located anywhere else. So if someone makes a post using a smiley located in http://mysite/forum/smileys folder then it makes no change at all because it will already be in the <img> tags. But if it is a hotlink to an image on another site or even a hotlink to an image in a different folder on my own site I'd like to change it

from:

<img src="http://differentsite.com/image.jpg" alt="" border="0" />

 

to:

<a href="http://differentsite.com/image.jpg" target="_blank">http://differentsite.com/image.jpg</a>

 

The entire post is stored in the $message variable. How would I code this to search the variable for instances of <img> tag links and ignore it if it is in the http://mysite/forum/smileys folder but change it to an <a href> link if it points to any other folder or website?

 

Thanks.

[chronister]

Start looking into regular expression. You are wanting to search for a pattern and if it matches do something with it based on what it is.

 

Regular expressions are exactly what this is for. Good Luck.

[unrelenting]

Start looking into regular expression. You are wanting to search for a pattern and if it matches do something with it based on what it is.

 

Regular expressions are exactly what this is for. Good Luck.

 

I figured that is what I would need but was hoping for a different approach. Regex is the most complicated thing I have seen in PHP.

[chronister]

Yes is it a very complicated process, and I still don't understand it worth nothing.

 

But what your wanting to do is a very complicated process. Your trying to find a particular string that could change, and then do something based on what you find.

 

Regular expressions are the only way to go that I know of.

 

Nate

[Philip]

Regex is the most complicated thing I have seen in PHP.

 

It's really not that bad and is quite easy after some practice. I can move this to the Regex board if you'd like. I know they are always hungry for a new challenge there.

[unrelenting]

Regex is the most complicated thing I have seen in PHP.

 

It's really not that bad and is quite easy after some practice. I can move this to the Regex board if you'd like. I know they are always hungry for a new challenge there.

 

Please do. Thanks.

[nrg_alpha]

So if I understand you correctly, you want to examine all <img> tags in a post, and if any of their src attributes don't hold a specific value (like in your example, 'http://mysite/forum/smileys', you want to replace those image tags with anchor tags which contain those img src values?

 

So something like this?

$message = 'This image: <img src="http://differentsite.com/image.jpg" alt="" border="0" /> or this image: <img src="http://mysite/forum/smileys" alt="" /> or <img src="http://mysite/some/folder/smileys" alt="" />';

if(preg_match_all('#<img.+?src=([\'"])([^\'"]+)\1.*?/>#i', $message, $matches)){
$count = count($matches[0]);
for ($a = 0 ; $a < $count ; $a++) {
	if(strpos($matches[2][$a], 'http://mysite/forum/smileys') === false){ // change this path to your site path
		$message = str_replace($matches[0][$a], '<a href="' . $matches[2][$a] . '" target="_blank">'. $matches[2][$a] . '</a>', $message);
	}
}
}

echo $message;

 

Output (via richt-click 'view source'):

This image: <a href="http://differentsite.com/image.jpg" target="_blank">http://differentsite.com/image.jpg</a> or this image: <img src="http://mysite/forum/smileys" alt="" /> or <a href="http://mysite/some/folder/smileys" target="_blank">http://mysite/some/folder/smileys</a>

 

Just a note on target="_blank". In general, target is frowned up, as this removes control from the user (accessibility issues). Additionally, according to this w3c page,  if you are using a strict doc type, don't even bother with target, as it is deleted:

 

In HTML 4.01 Transitional and XHTML 1.0 Transitional, the target attribute can be used to open a new window, instead of automatic pop-ups. (The target attribute is deleted from HTML 4.01 Strict and XHTML 1.0 Strict.)

[unrelenting]

You understood my request perfectly. I will give that a whirl this evening when I get home from work. I appreciate your time.

 

I am using the same forum software that phpfreaks uses (SMF) and they have that _blank attribute built into it already so that is really out of my control.

[unrelenting]

So if I understand you correctly, you want to examine all <img> tags in a post, and if any of their src attributes don't hold a specific value (like in your example, 'http://mysite/forum/smileys', you want to replace those image tags with anchor tags which contain those img src values?

 

So something like this?

$message = 'This image: <img src="http://differentsite.com/image.jpg" alt="" border="0" /> or this image: <img src="http://mysite/forum/smileys" alt="" /> or <img src="http://mysite/some/folder/smileys" alt="" />';

if(preg_match_all('#<img.+?src=([\'"])([^\'"]+)\1.*?/>#i', $message, $matches)){
$count = count($matches[0]);
for ($a = 0 ; $a < $count ; $a++) {
	if(strpos($matches[2][$a], 'http://mysite/forum/smileys') === false){ // change this path to your site path
		$message = str_replace($matches[0][$a], '<a href="' . $matches[2][$a] . '" target="_blank">'. $matches[2][$a] . '</a>', $message);
	}
}
}

echo $message;

 

Output (via richt-click 'view source'):

This image: <a href="http://differentsite.com/image.jpg" target="_blank">http://differentsite.com/image.jpg</a> or this image: <img src="http://mysite/forum/smileys" alt="" /> or <a href="http://mysite/some/folder/smileys" target="_blank">http://mysite/some/folder/smileys</a>

 

Just a note on target="_blank". In general, target is frowned up, as this removes control from the user (accessibility issues). Additionally, according to this w3c page,  if you are using a strict doc type, don't even bother with target, as it is deleted:

 

In HTML 4.01 Transitional and XHTML 1.0 Transitional, the target attribute can be used to open a new window, instead of automatic pop-ups. (The target attribute is deleted from HTML 4.01 Strict and XHTML 1.0 Strict.)

 

Wow. You are pure genius. It's akin to witchcraft how you guys can make things happen. Thanks.