How to replace "\\" in a URL using regex?

Question

$tag_path = "c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\\tables";

I want to delete only the last \\tables in $tag_path.

I used the code below:

$tag_path = preg_replace("/\\\\tables$/i", "", $tag_path);

But it returned the following result:

c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\

Why? How can I delete the last \\tables in $tag_path?

If i echo tag_path="c:\work\link2\tmp\5699", But i write log tag_path="c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\"

Use `str_replace()` instead: `str_replace('\\tables', '', $tag_path);`. — Amal Murali, May 07 '14 at 12:04
I only want to delete last '\\tables'. If tag_path has 2 '\\tables' — D T, May 07 '14 at 12:07
possible duplicate of [Extra backslash needed in PHP regexp pattern](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2145804/extra-backslash-needed-in-php-regexp-pattern) — Anonymous, May 07 '14 at 12:07
@user1497597: I'm not sure how it doesn't work. See [this demo](https://eval.in/147602). Your `preg_replace` statement works as it should. — Amal Murali, May 07 '14 at 12:08
@user1497597: What do you mean by "*have not answer correct*"? Please clarify. — Amal Murali, May 07 '14 at 12:11
No mean, i say : possible duplicate of Extra backslash needed in PHP regexp pattern – Anonymous 3 — D T, May 07 '14 at 12:11
@AmalMurali If i echo tag_path="c:\work\link2\tmp\5699", But i write log tag_path="c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\" — D T, May 08 '14 at 03:06

score 2 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 10:32

2

Just:

str_replace('\\tables', '', $tag_path);

... should do the job. Note that I'm using single quotes and I'm using str_replace() in favour of preg_replace() because you are about to replace a constant pattern, no regex. In this case str_replace() is simpler and therefore faster.

Update:

In comments you told that you want to replace \\tables only if it is the end of the path. Then a regex is the right solution. Use this one:

preg_replace('~\\\\tables$~', '', $tag_path);

Also here the single quotes do the trick. Check this answer which explains that nicely. Furthermore I'm using ~ as the pattern delimiter for more clearness.

edited May 23 '17 at 10:32

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answered May 07 '14 at 12:05

hek2mgl

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I only delete last '\\tables' – D T May 07 '14 at 12:06
Nitpick: This wouldn't still work. To match a literal backslash, you'd have to write ``\\\\``. (As for why, see [this answer](http://stackoverflow.com/a/20819109/1438393).) ;-) – Amal Murali May 07 '14 at 12:16
@AmalMurali Hey, thx!. wouldn't have expected that. But sounds logic now :) – hek2mgl May 07 '14 at 12:23
If i echo tag_path="c:\work\link2\tmp\5699", But i write log tag_path="c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\" – D T May 08 '14 at 03:03

Shankar Narayana Damodaran · Answer 2 · 2014-05-07T12:14:44.427

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Use strrpos() as a lookbehind for the last \\. (No strict rule)

This even works if your tables is TABLES , tab or any other data after the last \\

echo substr($tag_path,0,strrpos($tag_path,'\\'));

Demonstration

edited May 07 '14 at 12:14

answered May 07 '14 at 12:07

Shankar Narayana Damodaran

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If i echo tag_path="c:\work\link2\tmp\5699", But i write log tag_path="c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\" – D T May 08 '14 at 03:04
@user1497597, It's easy add a slash at the end. See this [**demo**](https://eval.in/147932) – Shankar Narayana Damodaran May 08 '14 at 04:11
No, I use code: substr($tag_path,0,strrpos($tag_path,'\\')); if i write log result still: tag_path="c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\" – D T May 08 '14 at 04:50
If i use echo tag_path="c:\work\link2\tmp\5699", But i write log tag_path="c:\work\link2\\tmp\\5699\". I echo result the same demo. But write log, it still error. – D T May 08 '14 at 04:53
What is your expected output ? – Shankar Narayana Damodaran May 08 '14 at 04:55

How to replace "\\" in a URL using regex?

2 Answers2