substr_count question

[hermetis]

<?php
print substr_count("5485345=34534","=");
?>

it prints 1 instead of 7.

How can i count what is before = ?

Thanks very much in advance

Edited June 22, 2013 by hermetis

[kicken]

use strpos to find the location of the =. It's location would be equal to the count of things before it.