PHP regex to match groups in string

Question

i have a PHP project that uses routing this passes the url requested feedback/services/mytoken i then have a regex that detects the parts o pass to the script with this /^feedback(\\/(?P<form>.*))(\\/(?P<token>.*))/U example RegEx Test this works fine for now, but i have realized that i will come into some issues when the url is feedback/service it wont pick it up.

// working
$request = 'feedback/services/mytoken';
$regex = '/^feedback(\/(?P<form>.*))(\/(?P<token>.*))/U';
// returns
$returns = [
"form" => 'services',
"token" => "mytoken" 

];

// not working
$request = 'feedback/services';
$regex = '/^feedback(\/(?P<form>.*))(\/(?P<token>.*))/U';
// expected returns
$returns = [
"form" => 'services'
];

i want to be able to capture the groups correctly but i'm not sure of the right way to go about it. also i want to be able to pick it up if only part of it matches ie feedback/services is sent, it will group form to services and not match token

Answer 1

You may use

'~^feedback(?:/(?P<form>[^/]*))?(?:/(?P<token>[^/]*))?~'

See the regex demo

If no more text should appear on the right, add $ at the end of the regex:

'~^feedback(?:/(?P<form>[^/]*))?(?:/(?P<token>[^/]*))?$~'

Details

• ^ - start of input
• feedback - literal string
• (?:/(?P<form>[^/]*))? - an optional non-capturing group:
  • / - a / char (no need to escape since ~ is used a regex delimiter char)
  • (?P<form>[^/]*) - Group "form": any 0 or more chars other than /
• (?:/(?P<token>[^/]*))? - an optional non-capturing group:
  • / - a / char
  • (?P<token>[^/]*) - Group "token": any 0 or more chars other than /
• $ - end of input.