Print_r is not working with preg_split

Question

I writing a function to search within my database. I wanted to eliminate uneccessary white spaces between words so I used preg_split. I have not used preg split before so I used print_r to see if it did what I was hoping for it to do (elimminate white spaces). Yet when I used print_r I got nothing back on my screen to show the array after I typed words in the search.

function search_results($keywords){
    $returned_results = array();
    $where = "";

    $keywords = preg_split('/[\s]+/', $keywords);
    print_r($keywords);

}

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could give me an idea as to what I did wrong, or better tips.

The value of the keyword is the input from the search bar @PLB — Octavius, Oct 10 '12 at 07:19
when you post the keyword to the search page, have you get the correct value? print the keyword in the search page before split. — Prasath Albert, Oct 10 '12 at 07:25
@Octavius Your function is "working" function. The problem is that `$keyword` is not what you expect (it's null or empty string, I think). `var_dump($keywords)` before using `preg_split` — Leri, Oct 10 '12 at 07:33

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 10 '12 at 07:17

1

You don't get any matches with your regexp, that's why you don't get any array. Try this instead:

 $keywords = preg_split("/\\s/", $keywords);

answered Oct 10 '12 at 07:17

Undrium

2,558
1
16
24

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 10 '12 at 07:24

0

I tested out your function with search_results("hi there"); It ran perfectly here on my end, no issues. Here's the results I got as expected:

Array
(
    [0] => hi
    [1] => there
)

answered Oct 10 '12 at 07:24

Ultimater

4,647
2
29
43

Perhaps the indata needs to be looked upon then. – Undrium Oct 10 '12 at 07:27

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 10 '12 at 07:36

Tyr this

$base_str = "this    is a   string  with multiple    spaces between  some words.            "; 


$start = microtime(1); 
for ($i=0; $i<100000; $i++){ 
    $string = $base_str; 
    while(strpos($string, '  ') !== false) 
    { 
         $string = str_replace('  ', ' ', $string); 
    } 
} 

echo $string;

Print_r is not working with preg_split

3 Answers3