Matching a string in quotes with a | in the middle.

[Lukeidiot]

I can match this fine:

type="submit" value="Login">

 

using this regex...

 

preg_match_all('/name="action" value="(.*)">/', $source, $matches);

 

However, I cannot match this:

name="op3sfdkkfd" value="c90484908cc5d1b99c55f0191bba1932|1344564474">

 

with this:

preg_match_all('/name="op3sfdkkfd" value="(.*)">/', $source, $matches);

 

I believe the problem is that it has a "|" in the middle and is messing it up.

 

I am trying to match this part:

c90484908cc5d1b99c55f0191bba1932|1344564474

 

Any idea guys? Thanks in advance.

 

I am using the script to login to my domains registration site, then change the DNS A record to a mirror site in case the server ever goes down.

[requinix]

I believe the problem is that it has a "|" in the middle and is messing it up.

Nope. Pipes only matter when they're in the regex itself - pipes in the source text are fine.

 

Are you sure the name isn't a random string?

[Lukeidiot]

I believe the problem is that it has a "|" in the middle and is messing it up.

Nope. Pipes only matter when they're in the regex itself - pipes in the source text are fine.

 

Are you sure the name isn't a random string?

 

Yeah that's what I thought too, however this is not the case.

 

Here is the actual source I am using:

https://internetbs.net

[requinix]

Looks like they have a free API. I strongly recommend using that instead, even if only because it'll be a lot easier.

[Psycho]

As per your regex, the problem is in your quantifier (i.e the '*').

 

'/name="action" value="(.*)">/'

 

That '.*' is telling the regex engine to find every possible character, up to the LAST instace of '">'. So it is capturing the start of the value to the very last closing tag on the page (with a parameter) in it. You need to either make the quantifier lazy by using '.*?' (which is not too efficient) or better yet, change your expression to this:

 

'/name="action" value="([^"]*)">/'

 

So now, after it finds the matching text at the beginning (up to the opening quote for the value) it will capture all non-quote mark characters - up to the next quote mark. So the regex will be matching/returning the content of the value parameter as you wanted.