Help with using preg_replace

myklt · #1 (**permalink**) 06-23-09, 04:57 PM

I am having problems with finishing a function I have made which uses PHP's preg_replace.

The function runs through text within a forum I am designing to highlight target words to the user based on their interests etc I am hoping to allow a customizable tool-tip to pop-up over the highlighted areas to give the user extra information/ links etc.

The function is highlighting the words 100% and my tooltip is displaying the way I want it atm BUT the problem I am having is getting the PHP variable $definition to output its content instead of "$definition".

The problem seems to be the method I am trying to output a variable within a String. I have exausted every way I know of doing this and would like help. I have tried using <?php echo "$definition"?>, ".$definition.", print $definition, echo $definition....

Does anyone know any way or method to get the output of $definition to populate the tooltips?

PHP Code:


			
function getTargetWords($fContent){

....

.... 

....



/***Definition***/

       $definition = "Definition text for inside the tooltip";



/***!!!!!!!!To be fixed to output tooltip definition not "$definition" !!!!!!!!!***/        

       $replace = '<a href="#"><span class="highlight_word">\1<span class="tooltip">$definition</span></span></a>';

                

 /*** highlight the words ***/

         $fContent = preg_replace("/\b($word)\b/i", $replace, $fContent);

....

....

....

}

any help will be appreciated, thanks

End User · #2 (**permalink**) 06-24-09, 10:05 PM

Try using double quotes:

PHP Code:


			
       $replace = "<a href=\"#\"><span class=\"highlight_word\">\1<span class=\"tooltip\">$definition</span></span></a>";

myklt · #3 (**permalink**) 06-25-09, 08:02 AM

Thanks!! didn't think about trying double quotes...

Have just tried them and im getting the tooltip deinition now (will have to loop the values out to get them to work properly which im sure I can do) but ive lost the name of the highlighed word which is now displaying a (0001) in a square box. any suggestions?

myklt · #4 (**permalink**) 06-25-09, 04:12 PM

Ive managed to loop the definition values into the tooltip ok but still can't get the original words that were targeted to display properly.

example:
if i was searching for the word "PHP" or "CSS" in a paragraph of text "$fcontent" the words "PHP" and "CSS" thoughout the text would be replaced by a square with 00 on the top line and 01 on the bottom. The tooltip works though and displays the appropriate definition for "PHP" or "CSS" for every word that was "PHP" or "CSS".

any suggestions?

myklt · #5 (**permalink**) 06-25-09, 07:26 PM

I have built a small demo of my problem to visually show what the issue is, I believe its quotations again thats the problem.

Code:

<?php
$source = "My target word is PHP";
$target = "PHP";
$definition = "PHP is a rite pain getting!";
$pattern = "/\b($target)\b/i";
$replacement = "<a href=\"#\"><span class=\"highlight_target\">\1<span class=\"tooltip\">$definition</span></span></a>";
echo preg_replace($pattern, $replacement, $source);
?> 

<head>
<style type="text/css">
/* css tooltip
================================== */

span.highlight_target {
  position: relative; 
  background-color: yellow;
  border: 1px dashed #000000;
}
 
span.highlight_target span.tooltip {
  display: none;
}

/* tooltip will display on :hover event */
 
span.highlight_target:hover span.tooltip {
  display: block;
  z-index: 100;
  position: absolute;
  width: 200px;
  padding: 3px 6px;
  border: 1px dashed #000000;
  background-color: #f7f7ee;
  text-align: center;
}
</style>

</head>

<body>

</body>
</html>