Split content into array in php

Question

I need to split the content in php into an (json-)array. I.e. I want to get out of this:

<p>Text Level 0</p>
<section class="box_1">
    <header class="trigger"><h2>Title</h2></header>
    <div class="content">
        <div class="box_2">
            <div class="class"></div>
            <div class="content">
                <p>Text Level 2</p>
                <p>More Text Level 2</p>
            </div>
        </div>
        <div class="box_2">
            <div class="class"></div>
            <div class="content">
                <p>Text Level 2</p>
                <div class="box_3">
                    <div class="content">
                        <p>Text Level 3</p>
                    </div>
                </div>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</section>
<p>Another Text</p>

This result:

0: "Text Level 0"; 2: "Text Level 2\nMore Text Level 2"; 2: "Text Level 2"; 3: "Text Level 3"; 0: "Another Text";

That means I need the "Level" of the Text, and the Text itself. But I don't know how to do that. Should I use RegExp or should I parse the content (i.e. simple_html_dom.php)?

Something like:

Check for every p-element in "content"-class
Check the closest "box_*"-class -> Level-number
Summarize all elements of the same "content"
If p-element is not in "content" -> Level 0

But how can I do that in php?

Why not use javascript?? Also if you're echoing that content in a php page. Why not just build the array without caring where the elements are in the dom? I guess my real question is....what context are you getting that DOM from that you need to parse it with PHP? — Kylie
– Kylie, Commented Jun 29, 2014 at 8:31
Your title mentions splitting into an array. But your desired result isn't a valid array -- you can't have the index 2 multiple times in the same array. — Barmar
– Barmar, Commented Jun 29, 2014 at 8:43
You are right, the example isn't a correct array. But this should only be the content... {"id":0, "level":"0", "content": "Text Level 0"} and so on... — user3142695
– user3142695, Commented Jun 29, 2014 at 9:07
@Kylek: The data comes from a SQL-DB. And the content should be transformed and send vie json to an mobile app. That's why javascript isn't an option. — user3142695
– user3142695, Commented Jun 29, 2014 at 9:13

zx81 · Accepted Answer · 2014-06-29 09:30:07Z

1

A lot of people here distrust parsing html with regex—and with good reason in most cases. The preferred solution is a DOM parser. That being said, if you want to handle this specific input with regex, it is entirely possible. Here is one of several ways to do it:

(?s)<p>\K.*?(?=</p>)

Sample PHP Code

(See the output at the bottom of the online demo):

$regex = '~(?s)<p>\K.*?(?=</p>)~';
preg_match_all($regex, $yourstring, $matches);
print_r($matches[0]);

$m[0] is the array of matches (see output). You can then transform it to whatever other format you like.

Output:

[0] => Text Level 0
[1] => Text Level 2
[2] => More Text Level 2
[3] => Text Level 2
[4] => Text Level 3
[5] => Another Text

Explanation

<p> matches the opening tag
The \K tells the engine to drop what was matched so far from the final
.*? lazily matches any chars (this is the match) up to...
a point where the lookahead (?=</p>) can assert that what follows is the closing tag.

Reference

edited Jun 29, 2014 at 9:30

answered Jun 29, 2014 at 9:22

zx81

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5 Comments

user3142695 Over a year ago

But element [1] and [2] should be summarized to "Text Level 2\nMore Text Level 2" because both belong to the same "content"-container...

zx81 Over a year ago

Entirely feasible, but I don't have the time right now. If you think this may be helpful and a step in the right direction, let me know and I might look at it again later.

user3142695 Over a year ago

If you think a regex solution is possible... that would be great. The elements of the same content-container should be put together (as mentioned above) and I need the number of the closest parent with the class "box_*". I would need the *. So this information would be my output data: the box-number (=level) and the content.

zx81 Over a year ago

Not understanding which number you want. From <section class="box_1"> or from <div class="box_2"> ?

user3142695 Over a year ago

Always the first/nearest class. So for the second match: box_2. For "Text Level 3" -> box_3

Harpreet Singh · Accepted Answer · 2014-06-29 10:05:50Z

1

RegEX

[\w\s\d]+(?=\<\/p)

$re = "/[\w\s\d]+(?=\<\/p)/"; 
$str = "<p>Text Level 0</p>"; //Sample from Your large string

preg_match_all($re, $str, $matches);

Demo

OP don't need this in JS but I hope some one can help him by converting this into php. I am not so proficient in php.

var domString = '<p>Text Level 0</p><section class="box_1"><div class="content"><div class="box_2"><div class="class"></div><div class="content"><p>Text Level 2</p><p>More Text Level 2</p></div></div><div class="box_2"><div class="class"></div><div class="content"><p>Text Level 2</p><div class="box_3"><div class="content"><p>Text Level 3</p></div></div></div></div></div></section><p>Another Text</p>'

var result = domString.match(/[\w\s\d]+(?=\<\/p)/g)

var parentTagSubString = function(str,startTagStr,endTagStr,refSearchStr) {
    posRefSearchStr = str.indexOf(refSearchStr);
    var posStartParentTag = str.lastIndexOf(startTagStr, posRefSearchStr)
    var posEndParentTag = str.indexOf(endTagStr, posRefSearchStr)
    return str.substring(posStartParentTag,posEndParentTag + endTagStr.length)
}
//explanation parentTagSubString function
// given a string - "refSearchStr"
// Search towards its left for "startTagStr"
// and
// search towards right for "endTagStr"
// within the string - "str"

for(var i=0;i<result.length;i++) {
    var found = parentTagSubString(domString, "box_", "<p>", result[i])
    //If p-element is not in "content" -> Level 0
    //as mentioned by OP
    if((found.indexOf(result[i]) == 3) || (found.indexOf(result[i]) == -1)) {
        console.log('level is 0 : ', result[i])
    } else {
        //we searched backward till Box and if box found
        //it must be at starting point
        if(found.indexOf("box_") == 0) {
            //search for immediate number after "box_"
           console.log("Level is: ", found.match(/[\d]+/).join(''), " ", result[i]) 
        }
    }
}

//Sample Output
//level is 0 :  Text Level 0
//Level is:  2   Text Level 2
//Level is:  2   More Text Level 2
//Level is:  2   Text Level 2
//Level is:  3   Text Level 3
//level is 0 :  Another Text

edited Jun 29, 2014 at 10:05

answered Jun 29, 2014 at 8:36

Harpreet Singh

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6 Comments

user3142695 Over a year ago

But how do I get the level-number of the element?

Harpreet Singh Over a year ago

Ok, but definition of Level is not clear from your ques. On what basis should I have to level them?

user3142695 Over a year ago

For each match, I have to get the closest parent with the class "box_". And * will give the level. If there isn't such a class "box_" as a parent, than the level is "0". i.e. the second match has the parent "box_2" -> Level = 2

Harpreet Singh Over a year ago

I tried to fetch levels but RegEx and output are becoming complex and I am not so familiar with php. Can JavaScript help you?

user3142695 Over a year ago

Unfortunatly not :-( I need this in php

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