How to find all matching patterns in a string using PHP?

Question

I have a string that looks like this

Hello, my name is "{{ @sql(SELECT TOP 1 name FROM table1 WHERE [id] = 5 ) }}" and my title is "{{ @sql(SELECT TOP 1 title FROM table1 WHERE [id] = 5 ) }}"

I need to be able to take this string and parse out any pattern that matches the following pattern {{ @sql(WHATEVER QUERY GOES HERE) }} it must start with two braken followed by optional spaces and then @sql( ending in ) }}

Additionally, I will also need to extract the inner query which is the text that is found between @sql( and ending in ) }} Here is what I have done

$pattern = '/\{\{\s*+@sql\((.+)\)+\s*+\}\}/i';

$matches = [];

preg_match    ( $pattern, $subject, $matches, PREG_OFFSET_CAPTURE );
echo '<pre>';
print_r($matches);
echo '</pre>';

My pattern works for the following string

Hello "{{ @sql(SELECT TOP 1 name FROM table1 WHERE [id] = 5 ) }}"

but when I need to use the pattern more than once in the text, it seems that my pattern search for the last occurrence of )}} instead of the next occurrence.

How can I update my pattern so it looks for one ore multiple matches?

Thank you

Possible duplicate of PHP preg_match and preg_match_all functions — Devon Bessemer
– Devon Bessemer, Commented Jun 13, 2016 at 17:45
Have you noticed that None of your sample strings like this "{{ @sql(SELECT TOP 1 name FROM table1 WHERE [id] = 5 }}" will match with a regex template like {{ @sql(WHATEVER QUERY GOES HERE) }} ? — user557597
– user557597, Commented Jun 13, 2016 at 17:48
You have to use a regex tailored to parsing sql, otherwise you can't interpret what's between @sql(here) — user557597
– user557597, Commented Jun 13, 2016 at 17:56
@sln thanks for the correction. I just updated my question again to add the ) — Jaylen
– Jaylen, Commented Jun 13, 2016 at 18:21

Jan · Accepted Answer · 2016-06-13 21:15:46Z

1

After some discussion in the comments, I guess you need preg_replace():

<?php
$string = 'Hello, my name is "{{ @sql(SELECT TOP 1 name FROM table1 WHERE [id] = 5 ) }}" and my title is "{{ @sql(SELECT TOP 1 title FROM table1 WHERE [id] = 5 ) }}"';

$regex = '~
            \{{2}\h*@sql\(    # start of outer part
            (?P<query>[^()]+) # inner query
            \)\h*\}{2}        # end of outer part
        ~x';

$string = preg_replace($regex, '$1', $string);
echo $string;
# Hello, my name is "SELECT TOP 1 name FROM table1 WHERE [id] = 5 " and my title is "SELECT TOP 1 title FROM table1 WHERE [id] = 5 "

?>

See a demo on ideone.com.

edited Jun 13, 2016 at 21:15

answered Jun 13, 2016 at 17:53

Jan

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6 Comments

Jaylen Over a year ago

Thank you for your help. Yes, I need the inner query. I am kinds confused on how to loop over the results. also, the inner query is giving me an additional ) at the end

Jaylen Over a year ago

Actually, all I am interested in is the inner query, I don't care about the rest. If it is easier just to get an array with only the inner queries that would be perfect

Jaylen Over a year ago

That makes more sense now. But the query is still returning an extra ) at the end.

Jaylen Over a year ago

Thank you Jan. This caused another issue in index 0 which is the exact string that is found. it is missing the ending ) }} so the query is being returned correctly but the string that is found it returnes {{ @sql(SELECT TOP 1 name FROM table1 WHERE [id] = 5 instead of {{ @sql(SELECT TOP 1 name FROM table1 WHERE [id] = 5 ) }} I need the whole thing so I can replace the whole string found with the result of the query

Jaylen Over a year ago

I want to replace the string starting at {{ @Sql(.....) }} with the result of the inner query. I got the query and executed it with no issue. but in order to replace {{ @Sql(.....) }} with the query result, I need to know the whole {{ @Sql(.....) }} if you look at the demo you posted you will see how the ending ) }} is removed but I need to keep it in order to replace the string correctly

|

nicael · Accepted Answer · 2016-06-13 17:43:14Z

0

You should just make the regex non-gready, by adding ?

...(.+?)...

(And also use preg_match_all)

answered Jun 13, 2016 at 17:43

nicael

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1 Comment

Jaylen Over a year ago

Thank you for that. One thing I forgot to mention in my question "I will edit it next" is that the second index of the pattern is to extract query which is find inside the @sql(QUERY).

Navkar Jain · Accepted Answer · 2016-06-13 17:56:21Z

0

One way that I do it is this: You don't want any other braces within one pair of opening and closing braces. So you can specify this:

[^\{\}]+

The above pattern will match any string of characters that does not contain a curly bracket. Your complete pattern would be

/\{\{ ?@sql\([^\{\}]+\) ?\}\}/i

answered Jun 13, 2016 at 17:56

Navkar Jain

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1 Comment

Jaylen Over a year ago

This return the entire text starting with {{ and ending with }}. All I need to return is the query that is between {{ @sql( and ) }}

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