echo only select text from string

[rhock_95]

lets say I have a block of text... I want to echo a single sentence from about the middle of the string

 

what is the easiest way to do this?

 

to clarify...the "block of text" is the $result of curl script

 

TIA

[cooldude832]

substr();

 

 

[rhock_95]

can you digress a bit on using  substr()

 

can you show or link me to an example of getting a line of text from the middle of a string?

[cooldude832]

<?php
function mid_string($string,$len){
$count = strlen($string);
$half = $count*.5;
$half--;
return substr($string,$half,$len);
}
?>

That will return a string of length you define in calling it from the string inputted started at the exact half way through

[rhock_95]

ok thanks... but I need to specify a point in the string to start and stop what gets printed...

 

how do I define the the beginning and the end points?  can it be done using character counts? or something?

[cooldude832]

substr doesn't have an end point deffinition, only a start and length

fyi everything I'm saying is found

http://us.php.net/manual/en/function.substr.php

 

and its saves us both time if u use that if you know the general idea of what you need.

[rhock_95]

believe me I have been through the manual but not be a fluent php coder I am lost...

 

what does the "start" integer define ? is it the number of characters or what?

[cooldude832]

start is the position of the first character to grab.

in the string

$string = "fishing";

0 = f

1 = i

g =-1

 

you can use negatives to go back wards

so if i did

substr($string,0,2);

i get

fi

or substr($string,-1,2);

gives gn

[rhock_95]

ok great...are white spaces ignored?

[cooldude832]

nope, read up on php.net cause you won't get very far with php if you can't read what it says there.  a string type variable consist of a series of characters that can be manipulated by the string function library and used in a lot of applications.

 

all characters in it are relative for a comparasion/function use.

[rhock_95]

ok thanks for your help and insights...one more question...

 

what is the easiest way to get the character count of any given string?

 

thanks again

[cooldude832]

i wrote this above

strlen

[rhock_95]

can you show me an example?

 

can you show me the syntax how to strip tags then echo a substr ?

[cooldude832]

no read it on php.net I'm not here to give u a sumary of what is already there.

[rhock_95]

thanks for nothing...obviously you as a php coder you have no idea how hard it is trying to grasp something from the manual without hands on experience...

 

telling someon to go read the manual is about the lamest advice that anyone can give...

 

effing worthless

 

if anyone else can help me I would much oblighed...I am not asking anyone to write a script I am just asking for some hands on syntax examples that the manuals fail top provide...

[tidalik]

::)IF you read the manual you would see they give TONS of examples.  PHP.net is one of the best online manuals, it makes sense, low on the jargon and gives you lots of working examples.

 

Type the suggestions into the function search at php.net

[cooldude832]

if it sounds like I am being hard on you it is because I am.  If you don't learn now how to solve your own problems there is no way you will ever learn.  Now if you went into php.net and looked up strlen and ask a question like "What does it return" I'd say an integer.  but asking what it does/how to use it is pointless if you don't try it on your own/look it up on your own.