Need regular expression or some easier way to do HTML query string text substitution

[comp.lang.php]

I am trying to replace within the HTML string $html the following:

<a
href="index.php ?section=image& refAction=edit& previousRefOrig =edit&chooseAlb um=1&album=here &sort=&willDesc =&willDisplayPa nel=&action=mov e_image">Go
back..</a>

With

<a
href="index.php ?section=image& refAction=edit& previousRefOrig =edit&chooseAlb um=1&album=here &sort=&willDesc =&willDisplayPa nel=&action=edi t">Go
back..</a>

Where I'm replacing "action=move_im age" with "action=<?=
$_REQUEST['refAction'] ?>"

I'm using regular expressions to do just that, or at least I'm trying:

[PHP]
$html = preg_replace('/([&\?])action=[^&">]*([&"])([^>]*>Go
back.*$)/', '$1action=' . $_REQUEST['refAction'] . '&blah=foo' . $pagQS
.. '$2$3', $html);
[/PHP]

I'm using "&blah=foo" as my test to see if preg_replace() has taken
place, so far, it hasn't.

Several class methods spawn the query string before "Go back.." several
different ways; however, there will always be a "action=[something]"
within the query string for you to change, just cannot predict where;
furthermore, there MAY also include "refAction=[something]" within the
same query string.

How do I do this either with regular expressions or some other way?

Thanx
Phil

[Oli Filth]

Re: Need regular expression or some easier way to do HTML query stringtext substitution

comp.lang.php said the following on 26/09/2006 22:03:

I am trying to replace within the HTML string $html the following:
>

<a
href="index.php ?section=image& refAction=edit& previousRefOrig =edit&chooseAlb um=1&album=here &sort=&willDesc =&willDisplayPa nel=&action=mov e_image">Go
back..</a>

>
With
>

<a
href="index.php ?section=image& refAction=edit& previousRefOrig =edit&chooseAlb um=1&album=here &sort=&willDesc =&willDisplayPa nel=&action=edi t">Go
back..</a>

>
Where I'm replacing "action=move_im age" with "action=<?=
$_REQUEST['refAction'] ?>"
>
I'm using regular expressions to do just that, or at least I'm trying:

<...snip...>

Several class methods spawn the query string before "Go back.." several
different ways; however, there will always be a "action=[something]"
within the query string for you to change, just cannot predict where;
furthermore, there MAY also include "refAction=[something]" within the
same query string.
>
How do I do this either with regular expressions or some other way?

IMHO, having multiple methods independently responsible for creating a
complex URL like that, and then having a regular expression to
subsequently "alter" it is likely to be error-prone and a maintenance
nightmare.

I don't know what your exact scenario is, but if I were doing it, I
might maintain an associative array of the GET variables and values e.g.
something like:

class Foo
{
private $variables;

function bar()
{
$variables["section"] = "image";
$variables["refAction"] = "edit";
...
$variables["action"] = "move_image ";
}

function fuzz()
{
$variables["section"] = "home";
$variables["refAction"] = "delete";
...
$variables["action"] = "kill_image ";
}

function alter_action()
{
$variables["action"] = "edit";
}

function getQueryString( )
{
// convert array contents to a query string
}

}


--
Oli

[comp.lang.php]

Re: Need regular expression or some easier way to do HTML query string text substitution


Oli Filth wrote:

comp.lang.php said the following on 26/09/2006 22:03:

I am trying to replace within the HTML string $html the following:

<a
href="index.php ?section=image& refAction=edit& previousRefOrig =edit&chooseAlb um=1&album=here &sort=&willDesc =&willDisplayPa nel=&action=mov e_image">Go
back..</a>

With

<a
href="index.php ?section=image& refAction=edit& previousRefOrig =edit&chooseAlb um=1&album=here &sort=&willDesc =&willDisplayPa nel=&action=edi t">Go
back..</a>

Where I'm replacing "action=move_im age" with "action=<?=
$_REQUEST['refAction'] ?>"

I'm using regular expressions to do just that, or at least I'm trying:

<...snip...>

Several class methods spawn the query string before "Go back.." several
different ways; however, there will always be a "action=[something]"
within the query string for you to change, just cannot predict where;
furthermore, there MAY also include "refAction=[something]" within the
same query string.

How do I do this either with regular expressions or some other way?

>
IMHO, having multiple methods independently responsible for creating a
complex URL like that, and then having a regular expression to
subsequently "alter" it is likely to be error-prone and a maintenance
nightmare.
>
I don't know what your exact scenario is, but if I were doing it, I
might maintain an associative array of the GET variables and values e.g.
something like:
>
class Foo
{
private $variables;
>
function bar()
{
$variables["section"] = "image";
$variables["refAction"] = "edit";
...
$variables["action"] = "move_image ";
}
>
function fuzz()
{
$variables["section"] = "home";
$variables["refAction"] = "delete";
...
$variables["action"] = "kill_image ";
}
>
function alter_action()
{
$variables["action"] = "edit";
}
>
function getQueryString( )
{
// convert array contents to a query string
}
>
}
>
>
--
Oli

I took your suggestion and ran with it, a much simpler solution than
anything I could have ever done :(

Thanx
Phil