In javascript you can define a return function when you do string replacements:

function miniTemplate(text, data) { 
    return text.replace(/\{\{(.+?)\}\}/g, function(a, b) {
        return typeof data[b] !== 'undefined' ? data[b] : '';
    });
}

This few lines of code allow me to create a very neat template system. The regular expression matches all the "{{something}}" strings inside the text variable and the return function matches if something is inside the object data, and if it is, it replaces it.

So,

text = "Hello {{var1}}, nice to meet {{var2}}";
data = { var1: "World", var2: "You" }
//result => "Hello World, nice to meet You"

Im trying to replicate this functionality is PHP, but the only solution that es to my mind is using 2 cicles, one that parse each element of data array and the second one inside the first that looks for the string inside Text.

Is there a cleaner way in php?

In javascript you can define a return function when you do string replacements:

function miniTemplate(text, data) { 
    return text.replace(/\{\{(.+?)\}\}/g, function(a, b) {
        return typeof data[b] !== 'undefined' ? data[b] : '';
    });
}

This few lines of code allow me to create a very neat template system. The regular expression matches all the "{{something}}" strings inside the text variable and the return function matches if something is inside the object data, and if it is, it replaces it.

So,

text = "Hello {{var1}}, nice to meet {{var2}}";
data = { var1: "World", var2: "You" }
//result => "Hello World, nice to meet You"

Im trying to replicate this functionality is PHP, but the only solution that es to my mind is using 2 cicles, one that parse each element of data array and the second one inside the first that looks for the string inside Text.

Is there a cleaner way in php?

• javascript
• php
• regex

• Use preg_replace_callback – Wiktor Stribiżew Commented Jan 27, 2016 at 11:03
• have you tried doing the same as the js? Find out what's inside of the double brackets and doing a replace ? – Florian Humblot Commented Jan 27, 2016 at 11:03
• You could e up with a solution based on preg_replace-callback(): php/manual/en/function.preg-replace-callback.php – Jan Commented Jan 27, 2016 at 11:03

7 Answers 7

You can use a preg_replace_callback just the same way as in JavaScript like this (pass the $data array to the preg_replace_callback using the uses keyword):

function miniTemplate($text, $data) { 
     return preg_replace_callback('~\{\{(.*?)}}~', function ($m) use ($data) {
         return isset($data[$m[1]]) ? $data[$m[1]] : $m[0]; 
     }, $text);
}
$text = "Hello {{var1}}, nice to meet {{var2}}";
$data = array("var1" => "World", "var2"=> "You");
echo miniTemplate($text, $data); // => Hello World, nice to meet You at {{var3}}

See IDEONE demo

If a value is missing in $data, the template string will be returned as we first check if it is present with isset($data[$m[1]]).

Yes, in PHP, there is a function preg_replace_callback() that you can pass a function to to handle the replacement:

$result = preg_replace_callback('/\{\{(.+?)\}\}/', 'do_replacement', $subject);

function do_replacement($groups) {
    // $groups[0] holds the entire regex match
    // $groups[1] holds the match for capturing group 1
    return ''; // actual program logic here
}

Try this code. it will definetely help you.

<?php
$text = "Hello {{var1}}, nice to meet {{var2}}";
$data = array("var1"=>"World","var2"=>"You");
foreach($data as $key => $value){
   $text = str_replace('{{'.$key.'}}', $value, $text);
}
echo $text;
?>

You can use preg_replace_callback for this.

Code Example :

$result = preg_replace_callback('/\{\{(.+?)\}\}/', 'replacementFunction', $subject);

    function replacementFunction($groups) {
       //code login here
       return "value"; 
    }

<?php 
    $data = array("var1" => "World", "var2" => "You");
    echo "Hello {$data['var1']}, nice to meet {$data['var2']}";
?>

refactoring...

I think we do not need to think plex things about this need. If we try to keep it simple, you may use sprintf function for php to format text can you try the code below;

<?PHP
    $format = "Hello %s, nice to meet %s";
    $jsonData = "{\"var1\": \"World\", \"var2\": \"You\" }";
    $data = json_decode($jsonData);
    $result = sprintf($format,$data->var1,$data->var2);
    echo $result;
?>

Working example is here https://ideone./AGNZen

A Quick Solution may be this one,

<?php
function ReplaceWord($find,$replace,$srcstring)
{
retrun str_replace($find,$replace,$srcstring);
}

echo ReplaceWord("WORLD","Peter","Hello world!");

?>