how to simplify str replace

str_replace

[mustdownloads]

Dear Friends,

I need one small help.

I wish to change a,s,g,j in certain text to z.

I am using this code.

Is there a simple way, so insteat of four lines i can use one line.

<?php
$st = "example asdfghjkl";

$st = str_replace("a", "z", $st);
$st = str_replace("s", "z", $st);
$st = str_replace("g", "z", $st);
$st = str_replace("j", "z", $st);

echo "$st";
?>

Regards

[ayushchd]

$st = "example asdfghjkl";
$letters = array('a', 's', 'g', 'j');
foreach ($letters as $val) {
$st = str_replace($val, "z", $st);
}

[dreamcatcher]

str_replace supports arrays. No loop needed.

$letters = array('a', 's', 'g', 'j');
$st = str_replace($letters,'z',$st);

In a single line:
$st = str_replace(array('a', 's', 'g', 'j'),'z',$st);

dc

[mustdownloads]

thank you dreamcatcher

[ayushchd]

hey tnx dc..

and mustdownloads, don't I deserve a thank you? lol..juss kidding ;)

[dreamcatcher]

No problem Guys.

dc

[mustdownloads]

sorry ayushchd,

really sorry, anyway one more issue
if wish to have different results for each variable, can we do it in single line.

<?php
$st = "example asdfghjkl";

$st = str_replace("a", "b", $st);
$st = str_replace("s", "f", $st);
$st = str_replace("g", "t", $st);
$st = str_replace("j", "u", $st);

echo "$st";
?>

[Receptional Andy]

As per the str_replace manual [php.net]:

// Provides: You should eat pizza, beer, and ice cream every day
$phrase = "You should eat fruits, vegetables, and fiber every day.";
$healthy = array("fruits", "vegetables", "fiber");
$yummy = array("pizza", "beer", "ice cream");

$newphrase = str_replace($healthy, $yummy, $phrase);

[ayushchd]

$st = "example asdfghjkl";
$letters = array('a' => 'b', 's' => 'f', 'g' => 't', 'j' => 'u');
foreach ($letters as $match => $replace)
$st = str_replace($match, $replace, $st);
echo $st;

[dtest]

even more simple:

<?php
$st = "example asdfghjkl";

$st = str_replace(array("a", "s", "g", "j"), array("b", "f", "t", u"), $st);

echo "$st";
?>

[Receptional Andy]

It's a bit off topic, but remember that shorter code does not mean better code.

Especially if you are new to a language, shortening code too much will just make it harder to maintain, and more difficult to understand, especially if you need to go back to it in future. (Incidentally, you could fit the first $st on the same line, if you wanted to, dtest ;))

I forget whose anecdote it is, but it goes something like this (help me out with the real source, someone!):

The programming student takes his work to the professor, and tells him that something in his code isn't working.

The professor says "of course it isn't working, there aren't any comments in it!".

[dtest]

good point, Receptional Andy

however in this case the topic author requested a simpler code: "how to get 4 lines down to 1" :)

[ayushchd]

dtest..

I think my code will be easier to add new pairs of letters and easily make correspondences :)

[mustdownloads]

My code has 1700 variables to replace, i compared these two things for that.
it was surprising to discover that code one (without loop) take significantly less time in comparison to second.

code one
// Provides: You should eat pizza, beer, and ice cream every day
$phrase = "You should eat fruits, vegetables, and fiber every day.";
$healthy = array("fruits", "vegetables", "fiber");
$yummy = array("pizza", "beer", "ice cream");
$newphrase = str_replace($healthy, $yummy, $phrase);

code two
$st = "example asdfghjkl";
$letters = array('a' => 'b', 's' => 'f', 'g' => 't', 'j' => 'u');
foreach ($letters as $match => $replace)
$st = str_replace($match, $replace, $st);
echo $st;

[jatar_k]

why were you surprised?

the first code searches your string once and makes replacements

the second does the same thing 4 times

my thought is that making 4 replacements on a single search would take longer than a single replacement per search but the search is what takes the time. So you your first code should be less than 4 times faster than the second.