PHP preg_match_all match the closest value

Question

My text is something like this:

[if-abc]content of abc[/if] [if-def]content of def[/if]

i want to match:

[if-abc]content of abc[/if] and then [if-def]content of def[/if]

but my current function matches the entire thing. how can i make it so it matches the first occurence of the closing [/if] tag

$m = null;
preg_match_all('/\[if-([a-z-]*)\](.*)\[\/if\]/', $source, $m);

This works except when multiple conditions are present on the same line.

Answer 1

Make your star quantifier non-greedy with...

preg_match_all('/\[if-([a-z-]*)\](.*?)\[\/if\]/', $source, $m);

This way the .* construct will start matching from 'no symbols at all' state, gradually widening it, one symbol at a time - and will stop doing it when it encounters the first [/if] part in the string's flow. Otherwise it actually starts with consuming all the string, releasing one symbol at a time - and stops when it faces the last [/if] part in the string's flow.