In PHP using preg_match_all; I need to extract all anchor tags with array with href, title and innerHTML.

<a href="http://mydomain.com/" title="My Title">My InnerHTML</a>
<a href="http://mydomain.com/">My InnerHTML</a>
<a href="http://mydomain.com/" title="My Title"><img scr="" /></a>

Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[0] => "http://mydomain.com/"
[1] => "My Title"
[2] => "My InnerHTML" 
)
[1] => Array
(
[0] => "http://mydomain.com/"
[1] => ""
[2] => "My InnerHTML"
)
[2] => Array
(
[0] => "http://mydomain.com/"
[1] => "My Title"
[2] => "<img scr="" />"
)
)

I'm currently using "'<\s*a\s.*?href\s*=\s*([\"\'])?(?(1) (.*?)\\1 | ([^\s\>]+))'isx";
my lack of Regex mindedness makes me believe I can just add ?title\s*=\s*([\"\'])
but all efforts have failed; and so have searches for an expression that works.

---

Jeff Flesher Retired USAF Disabled Gulf War Vet

Give this a try:

'#<a\s+href=[\'"]([^\'"]+)[\'"]\s*(?:title=[\'"]([^\'"]+)[\'"])?\s*>((?:(?!</a>).)*)</a>#i'

Thanks; it took me awhile to figure out why it wasn't returning all my links till I noted ones with other attributes like  target="_blank"; also the img tag in the innerHTML isn't showing up also; how do I include them in this expression?

Some things you might see in a link that this will have to work with
<a id="myLink" class="myClass" href="http://mydomain.com/#bookmark" title="My Title" target="_blank">innerHTML may be an <img /></a>

Sorry I didn't ask for this from the start. 

Thanks so much for your help

---

Jeff Flesher Retired USAF Disabled Gulf War Vet

My original proposal can be used with a minor tweak:

'#<a\s+.*?href=[\'"]([^\'"]+)[\'"]\s*(?:title=[\'"]([^\'"]+)[\'"])?.*?>((?:(?!</a>).)*)</a>#i'

I can't thank you enough.

I've been programming for over 30 years now; I have learning regexp on my bucket list.

---

Jeff Flesher Retired USAF Disabled Gulf War Vet

I'm going to drive you crazy with this one. It returns two Anchor tags in one array; my guess is because the anchor tag has no href; how do I make the href optional; seeing it's a section also?

<a id="t" class="s" rel="m"><span id="s">Show</span></a>...<a href="/home.pdf" title="PDF" onclick="window.open('...'); return false;" rel="nofollow"><img src="/pdf.png" alt="PDF" /></a>

On a side note I can't add the href in due to a quirk in some browsers; its an ugly hack I know; but I haven't found away around it.

---

Jeff Flesher Retired USAF Disabled Gulf War Vet

jflesher:

I'm going to drive you crazy with this one. It returns two Anchor tags in one array; my guess is because the anchor tag has no href; how do I make the href optional; seeing it's a section also?

...

No problem.

Look at how I made the "title" attribute optional: I made a non-capturing group from it and placed a '?' after it to make it optional ('reluctant' in regex). The same approach can be done with href:

Mandatory:

href=[\'"]([^\'"]+)[\'"]

Reluctant:

(?:href=[\'"]([^\'"]+)[\'"])?

Note that without the (?: ), the regex engine would have stored the entire href="..." in a group as well, something that you don't want, I presume.

Post back if you have questions: I'd rather learn someone to fish than hand him a fish... and all that.

; )

 

I was trying that last night in vain; I finally came up with this after sleeping on it.

#<a\s*(?:href=[\'"]([^\'"]+)[\'"])?\s*(?:title=[\'"]([^\'"]+)[\'"])?.*?>((?:(?!</a>).)*)</a>#i

It works great. In doing this last part be myself I didn't fulfill my bucket list but I did remember things I've learned over the years; having grown up using greps, this is much better and more powerful; and when you need one you really need it.

This one should be added to the library; it is very useful. 

You have been a huge help and I can't thank you enough. 

---

Jeff Flesher Retired USAF Disabled Gulf War Vet

jflesher:

...

You have been a huge help and I can't thank you enough. 

You're most welcome!

I added this to http://regexlib.com; search for Anchor Tag

http://regexlib.com/Search.aspx?k=Anchor+Tag&c=-1&m=-1&ps=20

I gave you credit.

Now if I can get them to add capability to test PHP functions; not that I see this happening on a .Net site; maybe we need a PHP counter part; do you know if they have one; or one they might link to for testing?

Thanks again.

---

Jeff Flesher Retired USAF Disabled Gulf War Vet

Hi,

what if title and href is reverse? And what if i want to extract three oder four different attributes- Do I need to add every possible order or is it possible to search for something without knowing the order?""

 examples:
<a href="LINK" title="TITLE" target="_BLANK">TEXT</a>
<a title="TITLE" href="LINK" target="_BLANK">TEXT</a>
etc.

I'd like to have something like that:
'#<a(?: ([a-z]{2,}).*=.*["\'](.*)["\'])?>(.*)</a>#Usi'

that results:
array(
  0 => array(
    0 => array('href', 'title', 'target'),
    1 => array('title', 'href', 'target'),
  )
  1 => array(
    0 => array('LINK', 'TITLE', '_BLANK'),
    1 => array('TITLE', 'LINK', '_BLANK'),
  )
  2 => 'TEXT',
)

Or do I need to use two preg_match()'s to deal with it?

---

Honda Forum

> what if title and href is reverse? And what if i want to extract three oder four different attributes-

Try this:

$text = '<a href="LINK1" title="TITLE1" target="_BLANK1">TEXT1</a>
...some text ...
<a title="TITLE2" href="LINK2" target="_BLANK2">TEXT2</a>
some more text...
<a title="TITLE3" href="LINK3">TEXT3</a>';

preg_match_all(
  '#<a\s
    (?:(?= [^>]* href="   (?P<href>  [^"]*) ")|)
    (?:(?= [^>]* title="  (?P<title> [^"]*) ")|)
    (?:(?= [^>]* target=" (?P<target>[^"]*) ")|)
    [^>]*>
    (?P<text>[^<]*)
    </a>
  #xi',
  $text,
  $matches,
  PREG_SET_ORDER
);

foreach($matches as $match) {
  echo "entire match : " . $match[0]        . "\n";
  echo "    href     : " . $match['href']   . "\n";
  echo "    title    : " . $match['title']  . "\n";
  echo "    target   : " . $match['target'] . "\n";
  echo "    text     : " . $match['text']   . "\n";
}

/* output:

entire match : <a href="LINK1" title="TITLE1" target="_BLANK1">TEXT1</a>
    href     : LINK1
    title    : TITLE1
    target   : _BLANK1
    text     : TEXT1
entire match : <a title="TITLE2" href="LINK2" target="_BLANK2">TEXT2</a>
    href     : LINK2
    title    : TITLE2
    target   : _BLANK2
    text     : TEXT2
entire match : <a title="TITLE3" href="LINK3">TEXT2</a>
    href     : LINK3
    title    : TITLE3
    target   :
    text     : TEXT3
   
*/