Regular expressions not working with new lines.

[ucahg]

I made a simple PHP script for testing. The script is as follows:

<?PHP
$content = "[loop:sections]test test[endloop:sections]";
$content = preg_replace('#\[loop:(\w+)\](.*?)\[endloop:\1\]#i', '"\1, \2"', $content);
echo $content;
?>

This script outputs (as it should) this:

"sections, test test"

Now if I have modify the input so the script looks like this:

<?PHP
$content = "[loop:sections]test \n test[endloop:sections]";
$content = preg_replace('#\[loop:(\w+)\](.*?)\[endloop:\1\]#i', '"\1, \2"', $content);
echo $content;
?>

the script now outputs this:

[loop:sections]test test[endloop:sections]

. Notice the newline...

How would I make it so that what's in between [loop:whatever] and [endloop:whatever], be found, even if there is newlines in there?

Thanks in advance

[DR_LaRRY_PEpPeR]

when you're using the dot metacharacter (.) in your pattern, that means "match any character," as you probably know. well, actually, by default, it matches any character except newlines. so, to make . match newlines, you need to add the s modifier to your pattern. e.g. change the end of your pattern from

#i

to

#is

then it should work.

[ucahg]

alright, thanks!

I seen the s modifier in the past but never understood what it actually meant. Thanks for the help!