PHP preg_match_all search in preg_match_all (2 times)

Question

I'm not good in English.

I'm trying to preg_match in a preg_match!

I got this:

if( preg_match_all('~<td class="fluctuation">\s*(.*?)\s*</td>~si', $input, $item_updown_select ) );

if I var_dump it, I get this:

array(2) {
  [0]=>
  array(32) {
    [0]=>
    string(153) "<td class="fluctuation">
                    <span class="down"><span class="icon"></span>13.31%</span>
                </td>"
    [1]=>
    string(150) "<td class="fluctuation">
                    <span class="up"><span class="icon"></span>3.45%</span>
                </td>"
    [2]=>
    string(150) "<td class="fluctuation">
                    <span class="up"><span class="icon"></span>4.56%</span>
                </td>"
    [3]=>
    string(151) "<td class="fluctuation">
                    <span class="up"><span class="icon"></span>10.07%</span>
                </td>"

}
  [1]=>
  array(32) {
    [0]=>
    string(58) "<span class="down"><span class="icon"></span>13.31%</span>"
    [1]=>
    string(55) "<span class="up"><span class="icon"></span>3.45%</span>"
    [2]=>
    string(55) "<span class="up"><span class="icon"></span>4.56%</span>"
    [3]=>
    string(56) "<span class="up"><span class="icon"></span>10.07%</span>"
  }
}

now I want from this array only the class!

I know it works if I do:

if( preg_match_all('~<span class="\s*(.*?)\s*"><span class~si', $item_updown_select[1][0], $item_updown0 ) );
if( preg_match_all('~<span class="\s*(.*?)\s*"><span class~si', $item_updown_select[1][1], $item_updown1 ) );
if( preg_match_all('~<span class="\s*(.*?)\s*"><span class~si', $item_updown_select[1][2], $item_updown2 ) );
if( preg_match_all('~<span class="\s*(.*?)\s*"><span class~si', $item_updown_select[1][3], $item_updown3 ) );

But if I got more than 3 Items, thats bad coding!

You know a better way?

I'm google it now for about 8 hours and dont got somethink.

I already tryed foreach:

foreach($item_updown_select[1] as $index => $text_to_draw) {
    if( preg_match_all('~<span class="\s*(.*?)\s*"><span class~si', $text_to_draw, $item_updown ) );
    print_r( $item_updown );
}

and thats my output:

Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [0] => <span class="down"><span class
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [0] => down
        )

)
Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [0] => <span class="up"><span class
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [0] => up
        )

)
Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [0] => <span class="down"><span class
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [0] => down
        )

)

My problem on foreach is: How I can display now every array separately?

I dont know if foreach is the right methode to do this.

I hope you understand me and know what I want.

I wish you can help me!!

possible duplicate of [How do you parse and process HTML/XML in PHP?](http://stackoverflow.com/q/3577641/476) — deceze, Nov 21 '16 at 13:00
You should use `preg_replace_callback('*pattern*', array('Someclass','SomeMethodWhichDoesYourThing'), $content_to_search)` — twicejr, Nov 21 '16 at 13:27
DOMDocument is the way to go and iterate over HTML if you want to give up on your regexes :D — twicejr, Nov 21 '16 at 13:28
@twincejr I dont want to replace? and if dont need somethink from HTML? — teckfolls, Nov 21 '16 at 13:33
OK, blunt and straight forward: **do not parse HTML using regular expressions. Parse HTML using an HTML parser.** It's *possible* to parse HTML with regular expressions, but it's needlessly complex and fragile. If you want to write sane, maintainable code, use an HTML parser. — deceze, Nov 21 '16 at 14:00

score 0 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:07

0

Normally, I would recommend against using Regular Expressions to parse HTML, as noted in a previous reply.

However, for this rather limited use I think you might get away with it. Do be mindful of the fact that if the underlying HTML changes, or is different from the examples above, this will will not work (anymore)

// If you _only_ need the class:
$pattern = '~<td class="fluctuation">\s*<span class="([^"]+).*?</td>~si';

// If you need the class as well:
$pattern = '~<td class="fluctuation">\s*(<span class="([^"]+).*?)\s*</td>~si';

if( preg_match_all($pattern, $input, $item_updown_select ) );

The first RegEx will give you only the class $matches[1], while the second will give you the classes in $matches[2].

I would like to close with a strong recommendation to learn DOMdocument as it makes working with HTML a lot easier, and more change-tolerant. You can start with the following tutorial.

edited May 23 '17 at 12:07

Community

1
1

answered Nov 21 '16 at 13:49

ChristianF

2,068
9
14

And now I only get the percent like 13.31%? – teckfolls Nov 21 '16 at 14:16
In that case the source material is either different from the example you posted above, or you're doing something wrong. The RegExps work just as specified, as evidenced here: http://www.regexpal.com/?fam=96280 – ChristianF Nov 21 '16 at 14:23
Yours give me only the class? I dont get it :/ – teckfolls Nov 21 '16 at 14:37
Yes, the first pattern will give you only the class. – ChristianF Nov 21 '16 at 14:52

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 21 '16 at 15:18

Use DOMDocument to parse HTML:

$html = <<<EOD
  <table>
    <tr>
      <td class="fluctuation">
        <span class="down"><span class="icon"></span>13.31%</span>
      </td>
      <td class="fluctuation">
        <span class="up"><span class="icon"></span>3.45%</span>
      </td>
      <td class="fluctuation">
        <span class="up"><span class="icon"></span>4.56%</span>
      </td>
      <td class="fluctuation">
        <span class="up"><span class="icon"></span>10.07%</span>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
EOD;

$dom = new DOMDocument();
$dom->loadHTML($html);
$finder = new DomXPath($dom);
$nodes = $finder->query("//td[@class='fluctuation']");

$classes = array();
foreach($nodes as $node) {
    foreach($finder->query("span", $node) as $span) {
        $class = $span->getAttribute('class');
        $classes[] = $class;
    }

}
print_r($classes);

Output:

Array
(
    [0] => down
    [1] => up
    [2] => up
    [3] => up
)

PHP preg_match_all search in preg_match_all (2 times)

2 Answers2