ereg/eregi replacement for PHP 5.3 [duplicate]

Question

I'm sorry to ask a question but I am useless when it comes to understanding regex code.

In a php module that I didn't write is the following function

function isURL($url = NULL) {
    if($url==NULL) return false;

    $protocol = '(http://|https://)';
    $allowed = '([a-z0-9]([-a-z0-9]*[a-z0-9]+)?)';

    $regex = "^". $protocol . // must include the protocol
                     '(' . $allowed . '{1,63}\.)+'. // 1 or several sub domains with a max of 63 chars
                     '[a-z]' . '{2,6}'; // followed by a TLD
    if(eregi($regex, $url)==true) return true;
    else return false;
}

Can some kind soul give me the replacement code for that with whatever is required to replace the eregi

Lennalennard

What is the purpose of replacing it? – Hornbook

@William, functions like ereg, eregi, split etc. are deprecated (not only deprecated, but completely removed) as of PHP 5.3. Read more. – Consols

Replacement altogether? https://mcmap.net/q/569160/-ereg-eregi-replacement-for-php-5-3-duplicate/… – Hornbook

@William, but this solution is too localized to this particular case... if he is porting some code to PHP 5.3, he needs more general solution. – Consols

Answer 1

Good question - this is needed when you upgrade to PHP 5.3, where ereg and eregi functions are deprecated. To replace

eregi('pattern', $string, $matches) 

use

preg_match('/pattern/i', $string, $matches)

(the trailing i in the first argument means ignorecase and corresponds to the i in eregi - just skip in case of replacing ereg call).

But be aware of differences between the new and old patterns! This page lists the main differences, but for more complicated regular expressions you have to look in more detail at the differences between POSIX regex (supported by the old ereg/eregi/split functions etc.) and the PCRE.

But in your example, you are just safe to replace the eregi call with:

if (preg_match("%{$regex}%i", $url))
    return true;

(note: the % is a delimiter; normally slash / is used. You have either to ensure that the delimiter is not in the regex or escape it. In your example slashes are part of the $regex so it is more convenient to use different character as delimiter.)

Consols

many thanks Tomas you are a star. – Lennalennard

sorry Tomas your solution gives an error preg_match() [function.preg-match]: Unknown modifier 'h' is that being caused by the i after the } – Lennalennard

@Colin, ok, I see! This is because the delimiter | is used in the $regex also... so we have to use different delimiter, which is not present in the $regex, e.g. % (hope I haven't overlooked something again :-)). Updated my answer. – Consols

many thanks that seems to have done the trick. One final question. eregi ignores case distinction when matching alphabetic characters. Does the code that I have now still do that or do I need to add anything more to what is in $allowed ? – Lennalennard

@Colin, no, the ignorecase option is the trailing "i" you see at the end of the pattern parameter to preg_match. This new code should be completely equivalent to the old one. – Consols

thank you once again. I really appreciate the help you have given me and your explanations. – Lennalennard

The doc says (with the i (PCRE_CASELESS) modifier what does it mean ? – Demeanor

Answer 2

Palliative PHP 5.3 until you replace all deprecated functions

if(!function_exists('ereg'))            { function ereg($pattern, $subject, &$matches = []) { return preg_match('/'.$pattern.'/', $subject, $matches); } }
if(!function_exists('eregi'))           { function eregi($pattern, $subject, &$matches = []) { return preg_match('/'.$pattern.'/i', $subject, $matches); } }
if(!function_exists('ereg_replace'))    { function ereg_replace($pattern, $replacement, $string) { return preg_replace('/'.$pattern.'/', $replacement, $string); } }
if(!function_exists('eregi_replace'))   { function eregi_replace($pattern, $replacement, $string) { return preg_replace('/'.$pattern.'/i', $replacement, $string); } }
if(!function_exists('split'))           { function split($pattern, $subject, $limit = -1) { return preg_split('/'.$pattern.'/', $subject, $limit); } }
if(!function_exists('spliti'))          { function spliti($pattern, $subject, $limit = -1) { return preg_split('/'.$pattern.'/i', $subject, $limit); } }

Appurtenant

Interestingly enough, the initialisation construct &$matches = [] seems to fail under my particular version of PHP 5.3... – Unitarian

Answer 3

Did you want a complete replacement to preg_match and eregi?

if(!filter_var($URI, FILTER_VALIDATE_URL))
{ 
return false;
} else {
return true;
}

Or for Email:

if(!filter_var($EMAIL, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL))
{ 
return false;
} else {
return true;
}

Hornbook

Answer 4

eregi is depreciated in PHP you have to use preg_match

function isValidURL($url)
{
    return preg_match('%^((https?://)|(www\.))([a-z0-9-].?)+(:[0-9]+)?(/.*)?$%i', $url);
}


if(isValidURL("http://google.com"))
{
    echo "Good URL" ;
}
else
{
    echo "Bad Url" ;
}

Please see http://php.net/manual/en/function.preg-match.php for more information Thanks

:)

Treen

Your replacement regex does not apply the same rules – Laurielaurier

hey down voter .. do you care to give reasons why i was down voated ??? – Treen

@Laurielaurier ...the rule is to verify valid email address ... am i missing anything – Treen

The question is about replacing the ereg regular expression with something equivalent - yours is not equivalent - yours has an optional protocol part, for example, wheras the original requires the protocol specifically – Laurielaurier

@Laurielaurier someone just gave a none regex example and did not get down voted ... All i gave is is a replacement for url validation .. I think you should have left Colin to decide if its relevant to him or now .. i don't have a wrong code ... it might not be 100% but that does not mean i should be down voted – Treen

Thanks I really appreciate your replies. My host has just upgraded to PHP/5.3.10 so the replacement is needed. The only thing I don't see in the solution provided by Baba is what the original function had of checking 1 or several sub domains with a max of 63 chars. – Lennalennard

@Lennalennard ... seen ... am happy we where able to help .... – Treen