How can I do this?

[eMonk]

I'm try to add target="_blank" in the following a href so the link opens in a new tab. How can this be done?

 

$description = eregi_replace('([[:space:]()[{}])(www.[-a-zA-Z0-9@:%_\+.~#?&//=]+)', 
            '\\1<a href="http://\\2">\\2</a>', $description); 

 

I tried <a href="http://\\2" target="_blank">\\2</a> but it didn't work.

[ragax]

Hi eMonk,

 

Not sure where the first capture group fits in real life, but keeping it as is (only modifying Group 2), this works.

Note that the input string starts with a } to give the regex something that matches the first capture group you specified.

 

Input:

}www.test.com

 

Code:

<?php
$regex=',([[:space:]()[{}])(www\.[-a-z0-9@:%_\+.~#?&//=]+),i';
$string='}www.test.com';
echo htmlentities(preg_replace($regex,'\1<a href="http://\2" target="_blank">\2</a>',$string));
?>

 

Output:

}<a href="http://www.test.com" target="_blank">www.test.com</a>

 

If the first capture group is "old garbage", run this instead:

 

Input:

www.test.com

 

Code:

<?php
$regex=',(www\.[-a-z0-9@:%_\+.~#?&//=]+),i';
$string='www.test.com';
echo htmlentities(preg_replace($regex,'<a href="http://\1" target="_blank">\1</a>',$string));
?>

 

Output:

<a href="http://www.test.com" target="_blank">www.test.com</a>

 

Is this what you're looking for?

[eMonk]

I have it in the a function. Here's the complete code:

 

$description = $row['description'];

function autolink($description) {
$description = eregi_replace('([[:space:]()[{}])(www.[-a-zA-Z0-9@:%_\+.~#?&//=]+)', 
            '\\1<a href="http://\\2">\\2</a>', $description);
return $description; 
}

[ragax]

Yes, so in your function, just pop in what I gave you.

Without doing anything else to your code:

 

function autolink($description) {
$regex=',([[:space:]()[{}])(www\.[-a-z0-9@:%_\+.~#?&//=]+),i';
$description = preg_replace($regex,'\1<a href="http://\2" target="_blank">\2</a>',$description);
return $description; 
}

 

Or, for the second version, in case Group 1 in your regex is leftover garbage from something else:

function autolink($description) {
$regex=',(www\.[-a-z0-9@:%_\+.~#?&//=]+),i';
$description = preg_replace($regex,'<a href="http://\1" target="_blank">\1</a>',$description);
return $description; 
}

 

 

 

[eMonk]

That worked but if the user enters in a url with http:// it doesn't get included in the a href link and appears as normal text.

 

Also for email links:

 

$description = eregi_replace('([_\.0-9a-z-]+@([0-9a-z][0-9a-z-]+\.)+[a-z]{2,3})', 
            '<a href="mailto:\\1">\\1</a>', $description);

 

See any an needed stuff here? Thanks for your help!! I'll be purchasing a book or read online tutorials how this stuff works in the upcoming weeks. It looks confusing at first glance.

[ragax]

That worked but if the user enters in a url with http:// it doesn't get included

 

Okay, you're changing the spec on me.

Slight change to the regex then, with an optional http://

 

$regex=',(?:http://)?(www\.[-a-z0-9@:%_\+.~#?&//=]+),i';

 

See any unneeded stuff here?

 

I have to tell you that the movement is away from the ereg functions, now deprecated, and toward the preg functions.

In a future version of PHP, they will drop off.

 

I would guess that this would fix your code (didn't have time to test it though, past midnight here):

 

$description = preg_replace('~([_.0-9a-z-]++@([0-9a-z-]{2,}+\.)+[a-z]{2,3})~i', 
            '<a href="mailto:\1">\1</a>', $description);

Let me know if that works for you.

[eMonk]

That worked but now it's removing http:// from the text. How can you keep it intact?

 

Thanks for your help playful. Much appreciated!!

[ragax]

Without testing:

 

function autolink($description) {
$regex=',(http://)?(www\.[-a-z0-9@:%_\+.~#?&//=]+),i';
$description = preg_replace($regex,'<a href="http://\2" target="_blank">\1\2</a>',$description);
return $description; 
}

 

The http only gets inserted if the text if it's there originally.

If you want it there all the time:

 

function autolink($description) {
$regex=',(?:http://)?(www\.[-a-z0-9@:%_\+.~#?&//=]+),i';
$description = preg_replace($regex,'<a href="http://\1" target="_blank">http://\1</a>',$description);
return $description; 
}

 

 

[eMonk]

The http text is there originally. Don't want it there all the time just when the user enters it in $description.

[ragax]

The http text is there originally. Don't want it there all the time just when the user enters it in $description.

 

Okay, so did my last post solve it, or do you need more help?

[eMonk]

It's working now. Weird, the code I had wasn't the same as the one you posted. I probably need more sleep.

 

Thanks again playful!!

[ragax]

You're welcome bro, it's a pleasure.