eregi_replace problem when string is a file

[silentwf]

I'm trying to make a highlight replacing function just like GeSHi (but I need to mod it for my needs and stuff)
My code is:
[code]
<?php
$string = include("test.php");
$r = "<a href='whoknowswhat.html'>apples</a>";
$p = "apples";
$s2 = eregi_replace($p, $r, $string);
echo $s2;
?>
[/code]
i THINK that my $s2 declaration has no problems and I think the problem resides in $string. Is my declaration incorrect, 'cause once I change $string into something like "I love to eat apples" or something, the eregi_replace function works like magic.

[ignace]

very well noticed...

[code]
$string = include_once('test.php');// gives you zero, nada, ..
//but
$string = file_get_contents('test.php');// gives you it all....
[/code]

go forth and code my padawan... :d

[wildteen88]

you cannot assign a variable the value of include as include doesnt return anything. If you want to get the contents of the file you'll want to use file_get_contents function which returns the contents of that file.

[ignace]

I wouldn't could have said it better myself...

[silentwf]

Ya, thanks guys. I happened to stumble over the idea maybe "file reading" would do.
Then I searched it up on php.net. It gave me that, but didnt work, and on the bottom it said "see also" and it gave me "file_get_contents"
So! Thanks for helping out ^^