very simple preg_replace not working

Question

function emotify($text)
{
    $icons = array(
                ':)'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/happy.png" alt="smile" class="icon_smile" />',
                ':-)'   =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/happy.png" alt="smile" class="icon_smile" />',
                ':D'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/grin.png" alt="smile" class="icon_laugh" />',
                ':d'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/grin.png" alt="laugh" class="icon_laugh" />',
                ":'("    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/crying.png" alt="crying" class="icon_cry" />',
                ';('    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/crying.png" alt="crying" class="icon_cry" />',
                ':d'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/grin.png" alt="laugh" class="icon_laugh" />',
                ';)'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/wink.png" alt="wink" class="icon_wink" />',
                ':P'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/tounge.png" alt="tounge" class="icon_tounge" />',
                ':-P'   =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/tounge.png" alt="tounge" class="icon_tounge" />',
                ':-p'   =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/tounge.png" alt="tounge" class="icon_tounge" />',
                ':p'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/tounge.png" alt="tounge" class="icon_tounge" />',
                ':('    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/sad.png" alt="sad face" class="icon_sad" />',
                ':-('   =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/sad.png" alt="sad face" class="icon_sad" />',
                ':o'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/shocked.png" alt="shock" class="icon_shock" />',
                ':O'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/shocked.png" alt="shock" class="icon_shock" />',
                ':0'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/shocked.png" alt="shock" class="icon_shack" />',
                ':|'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/straight.png" alt="straight face" class="icon_straight" />',
                ':-|'   =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/straight.png" alt="straight face" class="icon_straight" />',
                ':/'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/straight.png" alt="straight face" class="icon_straight" />',
                ':-/'   =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/straight.png" alt="straight face" class="icon_straight" />'
        );

     foreach($icons as $icon=>$image) {
      $icon = preg_quote($icon, '/');
$return = preg_replace("/$icon/i", $image, $text);
      }
    return $return;
}
$posted = emotify($posted);

this is my code to change emoticons into images. it just returns
Warning: preg_replace(): Unknown modifier '/' on line 203

how can I fix it? EDIT: this is all of my code including the array which may be the problem why my code is not working. I'm not sure, but non of the answers have helped so I think that must be were the problem lies.

possible duplicate of [A better way to replace emoticons in PHP?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9658734/a-better-way-to-replace-emoticons-in-php) — Toto, Sep 04 '13 at 11:19

Niet the Dark Absol · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-03T20:26:23.937

4

Having further established what you're doing through the comments, here is an answer using a DOM parser and a bit of cleverness:

$dom = new DOMDocument();
$dom->loadHTML($text);
$xpath = new DOMXPath($dom);
foreach($icons as $icon=>$image) {
  $textnodes = $xpath->query("//text()"); // get all text nodes
  foreach($textnodes as $node) {
    // the regex used here requires that there not be a non-space before it
    // in other words, it must be the first thing, or have a space before it
    while( preg_match("((?<!\S)".preg_quote($icon).")i",$node->nodeValue,$m,PREG_OFFSET_CAPTURE)) {
      $emote = $node->splitText($m[0][1]); // the offset is stored here
      $node = $emote->splitText(strlen($icon));
      // now replace the emote with the image:
      $img = $dom->createElement("img");
      $img->setAttribute("src",$image);
      // IMPORTANT: $image must be just the SRC, and NOT the entire HTML node
      $emote->parentNode->replaceChild($img,$emote);
    }
  }
}
// loadHTML puts the HTML into a document, we need to get it back out
$result = $dom->saveHTML($dom->getElementsByTagName('body')->item(0));
$result = substr($result,strlen("<body>"),-strlen("</body>"));

Now you may use $result, which all being well should have valid HTML including converted emotes.

edited Sep 03 '13 at 20:26

answered Sep 03 '13 at 16:31

Niet the Dark Absol

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so this is still in php – user2166538 Sep 03 '13 at 16:32
so if i put this code into my emotify function it should work? – user2166538 Sep 03 '13 at 16:33
Yes, provided you adjust your `$icons` array as mentioned in the code's comments. – Niet the Dark Absol Sep 03 '13 at 16:35
Fatal error: Call to undefined method DOMNode::setAttribute() – user2166538 Sep 03 '13 at 16:36
Ah, my mistake, that should be `new DOMElement`, not `new DOMNode`. – Niet the Dark Absol Sep 03 '13 at 16:42
Warning: DOMElement::setAttribute() expects parameter 2 to be string, object given – user2166538 Sep 03 '13 at 16:42
I realised I used the same variable name twice. Notice the edited answer I used `$img` instead of the second `$image`. – Niet the Dark Absol Sep 03 '13 at 16:59
Fatal error: Uncaught exception 'DOMException' with message 'No Modification Allowed Error' Stack trace: #0 (215): DOMElement->setAttribute('src', ' – user2166538 Sep 03 '13 at 17:07
I notice you didn't change your `$icons` array like I told you to. Each value should ONLY have the image's source, NOT the entire ``. That said, looks like the error is caused by the element not being associated with a document. Try replaceing `new DOMElement` with `$dom->createElement`, as in my newly edited answer. – Niet the Dark Absol Sep 03 '13 at 17:16
it all works fine except if the user types two emoticons only the first is converted into an image @Kolink – user2166538 Sep 03 '13 at 17:46
make that two of the same type of emoticon – user2166538 Sep 03 '13 at 17:47
Hmm... okay, I've updated the second `splitText` line. It should correctly support there being more of the same emote. – Niet the Dark Absol Sep 03 '13 at 18:35
Okay, I've rearranged the loops, so now it should re-evaluate the list of text nodes each time properly. – Niet the Dark Absol Sep 03 '13 at 20:26
thankyou so much it looks to be working fine now if I have any problems i will comment here because I dont know how to PM people. – user2166538 Sep 03 '13 at 20:30

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 03 '13 at 16:12

2

There is probably a slash in the value of $icon, so that you are actually calling

preg_replace( '/foo/bar/i', $image, $text )

which is a mistake.

answered Sep 03 '13 at 16:12

Andy Lester

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score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 03 '13 at 16:12

2

preg_quote will NOT escape slashes unless you tell it that this is your chosen delimiter.

That being said, using PREG is WAY overkill.

Use str_ireplace instead.

answered Sep 03 '13 at 16:12

Niet the Dark Absol

320,036
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Then you'll have to be a bit cleverer. Avoid using Smilie codes that may appear in legitimate text. Personally I prefer `=/` over `:/`. Of course, I'd also question whether you even *want* smilies. Are you making a chat? If not, you probably don't want them. – Niet the Dark Absol Sep 03 '13 at 16:16
yes i am making a chat i stole the code in my question from here – user2166538 Sep 03 '13 at 16:17
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9658734/a-better-way-to-replace-emoticons-in-php – user2166538 Sep 03 '13 at 16:18
Consider replacing them in the JavaScript side. JavaScript can tell the difference between text and non-text much more easily than PHP can. – Niet the Dark Absol Sep 03 '13 at 16:19
that wouldn't work because the chats get logged in a database and they get stripped of html tags in php – user2166538 Sep 03 '13 at 16:20
I have posted a new answer, featuring revised code considering what you have told me here. – Niet the Dark Absol Sep 03 '13 at 16:32

anubhava · Answer 4 · 2013-09-03T17:08:02.050

2

preg_quote actually has 2 arguments. 2nd optional argument can be the regex delimiter to be used in preg functions.

As per the mannual:

delimiter

If the optional delimiter is specified, it will also be escaped. This is useful for escaping the delimiter that is required by the PCRE functions. The / is the most commonly used delimiter.

Use your code like this:

$icon = preg_quote($icon, '/');
$return = preg_replace("/$icon/i", $image, $text);

UPDATE: Problem is that you're not initializing $return variable before start of foreach loop and always trying to replace in original $text variable itself.

Have your foreach loop like this:

$return = $text;
foreach($icons as $icon=>$image) {
       $icon = preg_quote($icon, '/');
       $return = preg_replace("/$icon/i", $image, $return);
}

edited Sep 03 '13 at 17:08

answered Sep 03 '13 at 16:23

anubhava

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thats not working maybe it is my array i will post it in the question – user2166538 Sep 03 '13 at 16:27
@jordanzhninja: Edited further to allow multiple replacements in input e.g. this input should also work now: `" :D yey :)"` – anubhava Sep 03 '13 at 17:08

Casimir et Hippolyte · Answer 5 · 2013-09-03T17:17:21.523

You can do this:

function emotify($text)
{
    $icons = array(
        ':)'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/happy.png" alt="smile" class="icon_smile" />',
        ':-)'   =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/happy.png" alt="smile" class="icon_smile" />',
        ':D'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/grin.png" alt="smile" class="icon_laugh" />',
        ':d'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/grin.png" alt="laugh" class="icon_laugh" />',
        ':\'('  =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/crying.png" alt="crying" class="icon_cry" />',
        ';('    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/crying.png" alt="crying" class="icon_cry" />',
        ';)'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/wink.png" alt="wink" class="icon_wink" />',
        ':P'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/tounge.png" alt="tounge" class="icon_tounge" />',
        ':-P'   =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/tounge.png" alt="tounge" class="icon_tounge" />',
        ':-p'   =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/tounge.png" alt="tounge" class="icon_tounge" />',
        ':p'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/tounge.png" alt="tounge" class="icon_tounge" />',
        ':('    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/sad.png" alt="sad face" class="icon_sad" />',
        ':-('   =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/sad.png" alt="sad face" class="icon_sad" />',
        ':o'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/shocked.png" alt="shock" class="icon_shock" />',
        ':O'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/shocked.png" alt="shock" class="icon_shock" />',
        ':0'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/shocked.png" alt="shock" class="icon_shack" />',
        ':|'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/straight.png" alt="straight face" class="icon_straight" />',
        ':-|'   =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/straight.png" alt="straight face" class="icon_straight" />',
        ':/'    =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/straight.png" alt="straight face" class="icon_straight" />',
        ':-/'   =>  '<img src="/images/emoticons/straight.png" alt="straight face" class="icon_straight" />'
        );
    return str_replace(array_keys($icons), array_values($icons), $text);
}

Note that in this case it will be better to define two arrays.

Notice: this kind of search/replace must not be case-sensitive :D :d
A laughing emoticon was duplicate.

very simple preg_replace not working

5 Answers5