Replace overlapping strings in php [duplicate]

Question

I need to replace a huge amount of words and phrases in long strings, words and phrases might repeat several times.

I have successfully built a preg_replace() arrays and it works nearly well. The only problem is that the list of words and phrases to replace I want to have is overlapping, for example:

"acid" ---> "replacement1"

"light acid" --> "replacement2"

and it makes preg_replace to complain, as "acid" is in both, which is not surprising.

The question: How to build a proper function to replace words and phrases like in my scenario?

Presort the replacement patterns by their length and apply them downwards? — arkascha
– arkascha, Commented Apr 13, 2015 at 6:31
@arkascha Why not making an answer out of it? Then the question wouldn't stay open. — hek2mgl
– hek2mgl, Commented Apr 13, 2015 at 8:12

arkascha · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-13 08:32:18Z

1

Just presort the replacement patterns by their length and apply them downwards. That way longer strings will get replaced first. Therefore any contained substring in there cannot be replaced accidentally by other, shorter replacement rules.

edited Apr 13, 2015 at 8:32

answered Apr 13, 2015 at 8:22

arkascha

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3 Comments

hek2mgl Over a year ago

An example would be nice ;)

arkascha Over a year ago

@hek2mgl an example of sorting something by length? Come on... no code in the question => no code in the answer.

jerome Over a year ago

Thanks, it is exactly what I missed in my logic, thanks, mate :)

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