preg_match help

[David]

Help how can I force the variable to start with a character.

I dont want it to start with a number????



function alphanumeric($a lphanumeric_fie ld)
{
if(!preg_match( "/[^a-zA-Z0-9]+$/",$alphanumeric _field))
return TRUE;
else
return FALSE;
}



any ideas much appreciated. As i am so frustrated with the preg_match
function!!

[David]

Re: preg_match help

I forgot to mention as well that it was allowing whitespace. Which i did not
want.

all i want is A-Z regardless of case. and Numbers. No other characters. And
start with a letter.




"David" <nospam@nospanm .comwrote in message
news:q9Qbh.659$ HU.278@news-server.bigpond. net.au...

Help how can I force the variable to start with a character.
>
I dont want it to start with a number????
>
>
>
function alphanumeric($a lphanumeric_fie ld)
{
if(!preg_match( "/[^a-zA-Z0-9]+$/",$alphanumeric _field))
return TRUE;
else
return FALSE;
}
>
>
>
any ideas much appreciated. As i am so frustrated with the preg_match
function!!
>

[Andrew C]

Re: preg_match help


"David" <nospam@nospanm .comwrote in message
news:kmRbh.694$ HU.578@news-server.bigpond. net.au...

>I forgot to mention as well that it was allowing whitespace. Which i did
>not
want.
>
all i want is A-Z regardless of case. and Numbers. No other characters.
And
start with a letter.
>
>
>
>
"David" <nospam@nospanm .comwrote in message
news:q9Qbh.659$ HU.278@news-server.bigpond. net.au...

>Help how can I force the variable to start with a character.
>>
>I dont want it to start with a number????
>>
>>
>>
>function alphanumeric($a lphanumeric_fie ld)
>{
> if(!preg_match( "/[^a-zA-Z0-9]+$/",$alphanumeric _field))
> return TRUE;
> else
> return FALSE;
>}
>>
>>
>>
>any ideas much appreciated. As i am so frustrated with the preg_match
>function!!

I haven't tested this, but you probably want something along these lines:

/^[A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9]*$/

A '^' (carat) inside of '[]' means NOT (so, '[^A-Z]' means any single
character EXCEPT an upper-case letter). A '^' outside of '[]' means start of
line.

The above pattern, then, is looking for...

Start of line THEN a single alphabetic character (upper- or lower-case) THEN
zero or more alphabetic characters (upper- or lower-case) or decimal digits
THEN end of line (the '$' means end of line).

That's it really.

A.