PHP regex to identify multiple tokens

Question

I need to create a regex in PHP that will identify the following tokens in a section of text:

[video:1]
[video:2]

The code I'm using is

preg_match("/\[video:[12]{1}\]/", $text, $matches);

with the idea that I can have one character of either 1 or 2 after '[video:' and then ']'. The problem I'm having is that it won't identify the second token if there are two of them in the text. It will identify either one if it is the first one, but not the second one if both are in the text.

How can I identify both tokens in my section of text?

Thanks.

Jason McCreary · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-26 16:43:42Z

4

You need to use preg_match_all() to to a global search and capture.

Also be sure to properly escape regular expression syntax when you need to match literal characters.

/\[video:[12]\]/

Note: I also removed the quantifier as it is unnecessary since you are just matching one 1 or 2.

answered Jul 26, 2011 at 16:43

Jason McCreary

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3 Comments

wonder95 Over a year ago

I'm not sure I understand your reference to escaping, since what you put above matches what I had (without the removed {1} quantifer), but this worked. Thanks.

Jason McCreary Over a year ago

You're welcome. Your original post was not escaping. Felix Kling added them after my answer.

Alan Moore Over a year ago

Just FYI, the backslashes were there along. They just weren't visible before Felix applied code formatting. This kind of thing is why I usually initiate an edit on a question before I try to answer it, to make sure I'm seeing what the author wants me to see.

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