[SOLVED] Simple Preg_match

[YourNameHere]

So, I dint know much about reg ex and want to learn but the manual is hard to understand.

 

This is what I want...

 

I have a chatroom and I want to add the functionality of IRCs "/me" command.

 

so I thought preg_match would be best for this.

 

sample code:

$message = "/me is here!";
$pattern = "???";
if (preg_match($pattern, $message))
{
//Preg_Match insert into DB
}
else
{
//normal insert into DB
}

I need to see if "/me " are the first 4 chars of the string

Then I need to delete "/me " from the string and then insert the new string into the DB

Otherwise Insert the string as it is into the DB.

I have the insert functions working but I just need to do an if statement to see if /me is at the beginning of the string.

 

I think that is all the info I need to post for this forum, if not, let me know.

[Garethp]

if(preg_match("~^/me (.*)$~s", $message, $Matches);

{

//The message is in $Matches[1];

}

[nrg_alpha]

Alternatively,

 

Example:

$message = "/me is here!";
$message = (strpos($message, '/me ') === 0)? substr($message, 4): $message;

[Garethp]

How does that second line work?

[nrg_alpha]

What that second line does is use strpos to check to see if the character sequence '/me ' is there and starts at position 0 in the string (therefore, the beginning of the string). If so, then $message will be equal to itself starting at position 4 (which comes right after the space after /me) by use of substr, otherwise, it is simply equal to itself (nothing has changed).

 

Hopefully I explained that adequately.

 

EDIT - And of course, this is all done in a ternary operator fashion...as opposed to the typical

 

if(...){

  ...

} else {

  ...

}

[YourNameHere]

Alternatively,

 

Example:

$message = "/me is here!";
$message = (strpos($message, '/me ') === 0)? substr($message, 4): $message;

How would I put that into an IF statement?

 

I basically need to insert into the database for the chat column "me" = yes when /me is used

 

[MadTechie]

How would I put that into an IF statement?

 

I basically need to insert into the database for the chat column "me" = yes when /me is used

 

 

You don't need to put it into an if, as it's a "ternary" (aka shorthand if),

 

Your could do this

$message = "/me is here!";
if (strpos($message, '/me ') === 0)
{
$message = substr($message, 4); //remove the "/me "
//Preg_Match insert into DB
}else{
//normal insert into DB
}

 

BUT if the insert into database is going to be the same, then this

 

$message = "/me is here!";
$message = (strpos($message, '/me ') === 0)? substr($message, 4): $message;

 

is the same as

$message = "/me is here!";
if (strpos($message, '/me ') === 0)
{
$message = substr($message, 4); //remove the "/me "
}
//normal insert into DB

 

Make sense ?

[YourNameHere]

Yes it makes sense but it seems to break my code.

 

$charname = $_GET['char'];
$msg = $_GET['msg'];
$time = time();

$message = $_GET['msg'];
if (strpos($message, '/me ') === 0)
{
$message = substr($message, 4); //remove the "/me "
	$insert = "INSERT INTO chat (time, username, msg, me) values ('$time', '$charname', '$message', 'y')";
mysql_query($insert);
}
else
{
$insert = "INSERT INTO chat (time, username, msg) values ('$time', '$charname', '$msg')";
mysql_query($insert);
}
?>

 

I cant put actual data in the vars to make it easier for you. I just isnt inserting into to DB

[MadTechie]

If its not working i would guess you have a query problem

 

try this

$charname = $_GET['char'];
$msg = $_GET['msg'];
$time = time();

$message = $_GET['msg'];
if (strpos($message, '/me ') === 0)
{
$message = substr($message, 4); //remove the "/me "
$insert = "INSERT INTO chat (time, username, msg, me) values ('$time', '$charname', '$message', 'y')";
mysql_query($insert) or die(mysql_error()); //updated
}else{
$insert = "INSERT INTO chat (time, username, msg) values ('$time', '$charname', '$msg')";
mysql_query($insert);
}
?>

[YourNameHere]

Awesome it works now!

 

I guess that is one of the problems you run into with ajax. There was an error because I forgot to add the last "}" so i wasnt seeing the error, thanks guys!