How to write a function that replaces text

[FalsAlarm]

I'd like to know how to go about writing a function that replaces text in a specific way. Below is my sample code.

<?php
$arrayOfSingleWords = array("Cats", "Dogs", "Horses", "Lions");
$arrayOfDoubleWords = array("blue Cats", "red Dogs", "green Horses", "Lions Nest");
$arrayOfTripleWords = array("blue coller Cats", "Dogs eating food", "green Horses riding", "Yellow Lions roaring");
$arrayOfQuadrupleWords = array("Blue cats napping nearby", "brown Dogs jumping around", "Blue dog Horses standing", "Lions den is blue");

$description = "There once was a dog named sue that lived with some horses and red dogs. The dogs eating food were the " +
				"most like green horses riding. Blue coller cats were also very similar to brown dogs jumping around " +
				"beside the blue cats napping nearby";
?>

I would like to write a function that takes in the $description variable and changes all phrases found in the arrays to links that link somewhere. Perhaps I need an associative array instead to do this, but i'm not sure.

 

I would like the function to start with the longest phrases first(from the $arrayOfQuadrupleWords) and work it's way back to the arrayOfSingleWords. I think some loops are involved but i'm not sure which php built in functions would accomplish this task.

 

The final output should look similar to the following.

 

"There once was a <a href="linksomewhere.php">dog</a> named sue that live with some <a href="linksomewhereelse.php">horses</a> and <a href="linksomewhereyetagain.php">red dogs</a>"

 

and so on.

 

can anyone help me out here on this one? The arrays of words will be pulled from a database, perhaps they would be associative arrays that also include which link to link to,(I think that's how it should work, but not sure, any help appreciated)

[FalsAlarm]

I forgot to mention that I'd like the function to start with the array that contains the largest phrases first and replace with links. then move to the array with 3 words and so on. I am hoping that the function could also skip over smaller phrases if that word already has been marked with a link.

 

So for instance, if 'dogs eating food' was already marked when the function rolls over the arrayOfTripleWords, then the word 'dogs' would not be made into a link when the arrayOfSingleWords is rolled over.(in the function)

Edited November 27, 2017 by FalsAlarm

[Barand]

Use an associative array and strtr()

EG

$links = [   'dogs' => '<a href="link1">dogs</a>',
             'red dogs' => '<a href="link2">red dogs</a>',
             'big red dogs' => '<a href="link3">big red dogs</a>'
         ];
         
$description = "the dogs and the red dogs were being chased by big red dogs";

$newdesc = strtr($description, $links);