How to separate URL string into parts using Regex

Question

I have following URL string

/category/category1/2010/12/10/id

I need to separate string into parts. I'm trying this pattern

(?:(.*))?(?:(?:\/)?([0-9]{4}))?(?:(?:\/)?([0-9]{1,2}))?(?:(?:\/)?([0-9]{1,2}))?(?:(.*))?

but it doesn't work properly

if URL is like this /category/category1/, I need the following vars

path = '/category/category1/';
year = '';
month = '';
day = '';
id ='';

if URL is like this /category/category1/2010, I need the following vars

path = '/category/category1/2010';
year = '2010';
month = '';
day = '';
id ='';

if URL is like this /category/category1/2010/12/, I need the following vars

path = '/category/category1/2010/12';
year = '2010';
month = '12';
day = '';
id ='';

if URL is like this /category/category1/2010/12/10, I need the following vars

path = '/category/category1/2010/12/10';
year = '2010';
month = '12';
day = '10';
id ='';

if URL is like this /category/category1/2010/12/10/id, I need the following vars

path = '/category/category1/2010/12/10/id';
year = '2010';
month = '12';
day = '10';
id ='id';

Is it possible to make this with preg_match and regex?

what if someone calls /category/category1/id or any other combination you didnt list? Why not just use plain old query strings instead, e.g. ?category=1&d=2010-12-10&id? — Gordon
– Gordon, Commented May 14, 2011 at 16:33

VoteyDisciple · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-14 16:20:52Z

6

Why not simply explode('/', $url);

Now you've got an array of the URL pieces. If you're also after validation you can now validate each piece (that exists) individually, and the whole thing will be a lot clearer.

answered May 14, 2011 at 16:20

VoteyDisciple

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3 Comments

Alex Over a year ago

Thanks for fast answer, explode will separate and category/category1/category2 and this going to break my script i think

Lightness Races in Orbit Over a year ago

@Alex: In what way would it break your script?

Alex Over a year ago

the problem i think is coming from if i have, for example category 1234 the url will look like /1234/2001 when i check for there is year i will detect year 2001 but when i trying to access to category /1234 the script perhaps trying to get year 1234

AndersTornkvist · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-14 16:34:42Z

1

You could use preg_match. The following regex is tested with all examples in the question:

$regex = '/^(\\/[^\\/]+\\/[^\\/]+\\/)\\/?([0-9]{4})?\\/?([0-9]{2})?\\/?([0-9]{2})?\\/?(.*)$/';
if (preg_match($regex, $url, $match))
    print_r($match);
else
    die('No match.');

answered May 14, 2011 at 16:34

AndersTornkvist

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Comments

Alec Gorge · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-14 16:34:09Z

PHP:

function findInfo ($path) {
    return array_slice(explode('/', trim($path, '/')), 2);
}

$path = "/category/category1/2010/12/10/id";
list($year, $month, $day, $id) = findInfo($path);

var_dump($path, $year, $month, $day, $id);

$path = "/category/category1/";
list($year, $month, $day, $id) = findInfo($path);

var_dump($path, $year, $month, $day, $id);

$path = "/category/category1/2010/";
list($year, $month, $day, $id) = findInfo($path);

var_dump($path, $year, $month, $day, $id);

$path = "/category/category1/2010/12";
list($year, $month, $day, $id) = findInfo($path);

var_dump($path, $year, $month, $day, $id);

$path = "/category/category1/2010/12/10";
list($year, $month, $day, $id) = findInfo($path);

var_dump($path, $year, $month, $day, $id);

Output:

string(33) "/category/category1/2010/12/10/id"
string(4) "2010"
string(2) "12"
string(2) "10"
string(2) "id"
string(20) "/category/category1/"
NULL
NULL
NULL
NULL
string(25) "/category/category1/2010/"
string(4) "2010"
NULL
NULL
NULL
string(27) "/category/category1/2010/12"
string(4) "2010"
string(2) "12"
NULL
NULL
string(30) "/category/category1/2010/12/10"
string(4) "2010"
string(2) "12"
string(2) "10"
NULL

Lawrence Cherone · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-14 16:39:00Z

1

simple list() function

<?php 
$url = 'http://example.com/category/category1/2010/12/10/id';
$url = str_ireplace('http://example.com/','',$url);
/*
category/category1/2010/12/10/id
=
//type/cat/year/month/day/id
using list()
*/
list($type,$cat,$year, $month, $day,$id) = explode('/',$url); 

echo $id.':'.$day.'-'.$month.'-'.$year;

?>

answered May 14, 2011 at 16:39

Lawrence Cherone

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