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PHP ActiveX

Regular Expression with Multiple Matches and Named Capture Groups

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Demonstrates regular expressions with named capture groups and multiple matches.

Chilkat PHP ActiveX Downloads

PHP ActiveX
<?php

$success = 0;

$sb = new COM("Chilkat.StringBuilder");
$crlf = 1;
$sb->AppendLine('Name: John Smith',$crlf);
$sb->AppendLine('Name: Jack Johnson',$crlf);
$sb->AppendLine('Name: Mary Adams',$crlf);

print $sb->getAsString() . "\n";

// We have the following string:
// Name: John Smith
// Name: Jack Johnson
// Name: Mary Adams

$pattern = 'Name:\\s+(?<first>\\w+)\\s+(?<last>\\w+)';
$json = new COM("Chilkat.JsonObject");
$json->EmitCompact = 0;

$timeoutMs = 2000;
$numMatches = $sb->RegexMatch($pattern,$json,$timeoutMs);
if ($numMatches < 0) {
    // Probably an error in the regular expression.
    // Suggestion: Use AI to help create and/or diagnose regular expressions.
    print $sb->LastErrorText . "\n";
    exit;
}

// Examine the matches:
print $json->emit() . "\n";

// Here is the JSON showing the matches.
// Important:  Capture group 0 always contains the entire match — that is, the portion of the input string that matches the full regular expression.

// {
//   "named": {
//     "first": 1,
//     "last": 2
//   },
//   "match": [
//     {
//       "group": [
//         {
//           "cap": "Name: John Smith",
//           "idx": 0,
//           "len": 16
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "John",
//           "idx": 6,
//           "len": 4
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "Smith",
//           "idx": 11,
//           "len": 5
//         }
//       ]
//     },
//     {
//       "group": [
//         {
//           "cap": "Name: Jack Johnson",
//           "idx": 18,
//           "len": 18
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "Jack",
//           "idx": 24,
//           "len": 4
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "Johnson",
//           "idx": 29,
//           "len": 7
//         }
//       ]
//     },
//     {
//       "group": [
//         {
//           "cap": "Name: Mary Adams",
//           "idx": 38,
//           "len": 16
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "Mary",
//           "idx": 44,
//           "len": 4
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "Adams",
//           "idx": 49,
//           "len": 5
//         }
//       ]
//     }
//   ]
// }

// The capture group index is obtained by looking up the name in the JSON result.
// For example:

$idx_first = $json->IntOf('named.first');
$idx_last = $json->IntOf('named.last');

$i = 0;
$matchCount = $json->SizeOfArray('match');
while ($i < $matchCount) {
    print 'Match ' . ($i + 1) . ':' . "\n";
    $json->I = $i;

    $json->J = $idx_first;
    print 'first: ' . $json->stringOf('match[i].group[j].cap') . "\n";

    $json->J = $idx_last;
    print 'first: ' . $json->stringOf('match[i].group[j].cap') . "\n";

    print '' . "\n";
    $i = $i + 1;
}

// Output is: 

// Match 1:
// first: John
// first: Smith
// 
// Match 2:
// first: Jack
// first: Johnson
// 
// Match 3:
// first: Mary
// first: Adams

?>