php preg_replace everything in between specific html comment tags

Question

I've checked other answers but can't seem to do the following. Please help someone :)

I want to remove everything in between and including specific html comments

HTML:

Some HTML that must stay
<!-- START IF USER_ID -->
some html that must go
<!-- END IF USER_ID -->
Some more HTML that's gotta stay
<!-- START IF USER_ID -->
this also needs to go
<!-- END IF USER_ID -->

So everything in between  and  and the comments itself needs to go

My preg_replace pattern (which is obviously wrong):

"/<!-- START IF USER_ID -->.*?<!-- END IF USER_ID -->/"

Result should be

Some HTML that must stay
Some more HTML that's gotta stay

Thanks for checking and for the answers in advance :)

maybe it can help adminhelpline.com/en/free-scripts/php/string/… — mlwacosmos
– mlwacosmos, Commented Dec 11, 2012 at 16:39
@mlwacosmos Thanks man. Would have accepted yours as the answer. +1 — Onimusha
– Onimusha, Commented Dec 11, 2012 at 16:44

Onimusha · Accepted Answer · 2018-01-25 16:20:14Z

8

Thanks @mlwacosmos - Using the link you provided.

Achieved with:

$startPoint = '<!-- START IF USER_ID -->';
$endPoint = '<!-- END IF USER_ID -->';
$result = preg_replace('#('.preg_quote($startPoint).')(.*)('.preg_quote($endPoint).')#siU', '', $html);

edited Jan 25, 2018 at 16:20

answered Dec 11, 2012 at 16:43

Onimusha

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2 Comments

neoteknic Over a year ago

How to do this but stop at the first $endpoint ? If you have xxx $start yyy $end zzz $end. I dont wanna delete the zzz because there is an enpoint before.

Onimusha Over a year ago

Thanks @neoteknic never realised this. Answer modified to include non-greedy modifier U which stops at the first one then continues onwards.

user1726343 · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-11 16:43:53Z

3

That regex looks fine. Use an m modifier to make the dot match newlines:

"/<!-- START IF USER_ID -->.*?<!-- END IF USER_ID -->/m"

Alternatively, you could use [\s\S] as a substitute:

"/<!-- START IF USER_ID -->[\s\S]*?<!-- END IF USER_ID -->/"

answered Dec 11, 2012 at 16:43

user1726343

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