PHP preg_match() Function

Hello folks! welcome back to a new section of our tutorial on PHP. In this tutorial guide, we are going to be studying about the PHP preg_match() function.

The PHP preg_match() function searches string for pattern, and returning true if the pattern exists, and false otherwise.

If the optional input parameter pattern_array is provided, then pattern_array will contain various sections of subpatterns contained in the search pattern, if applicable.

The appendant string offset is also going to be returned back, if this FLAG is passed as PREG_OFFSET_CAPTURE for every occuring match.

Normally, the search begins from the very begining of the subject string. The optional parameter offset can be used in specifying the alternate place from which to start the search.

READ: PHP sql_regcase() Function

Syntax

The following is the syntax to make use of the preg_match() function -

int preg_match (string pattern, string string [, array  pattern_array],  [,  int  $flags [,  int  $offset ]] );  

Return Value

• This function returns true if pattern exists, otherwise false.

Example

Following is a simple example -

<?php
   $line = "Vi is the greatest word processor ever created!";
   // perform a case-Insensitive search for the word "Vi"
   
   if (preg_match("/\bVi\b/i", $line, $match)) :
      print "Match found!";
      endif;
?>

Output

When the above code is executed, it will produce the following result -

Match found!

READ: PHP split() Function

Alright guys! This is where we are rounding up for this tutorial post. In our next tutorial guide, we are going to be discussing about the PHP preg_match_all() Function.

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