php-doc-en/reference/strings/functions/explode.xml

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<refentry xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook" xml:id="function.explode">
 <refnamediv>
  <refname>explode</refname>
  <refpurpose>Split a string by string</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>
 
 <refsect1 role="description">
  &reftitle.description;
  <methodsynopsis>
   <type>array</type><methodname>explode</methodname>
   <methodparam><type>string</type><parameter>delimiter</parameter></methodparam>
   <methodparam><type>string</type><parameter>string</parameter></methodparam>
   <methodparam choice="opt"><type>int</type><parameter>limit</parameter></methodparam>
  </methodsynopsis>
  <para>
   Returns an array of strings, each of which is a substring of
   <parameter>string</parameter> formed by splitting it on
   boundaries formed by the string <parameter>delimiter</parameter>.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="parameters">
  &reftitle.parameters;
  <para>
   <variablelist>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><parameter>delimiter</parameter></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       The boundary string.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><parameter>string</parameter></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       The input string.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><parameter>limit</parameter></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       If <parameter>limit</parameter> is set, the returned array will contain
       a maximum of <parameter>limit</parameter> elements with the last
       element containing the rest of <parameter>string</parameter>.
      </para>
      <para>
       If the <parameter>limit</parameter> parameter is negative, all components
       except the last -<parameter>limit</parameter> are returned.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
   </variablelist>
  </para>
  <para>
   Although <function>implode</function> can, for historical reasons,
   accept its parameters in either order,
   <function>explode</function> cannot. You must ensure that the
   <parameter>delimiter</parameter> argument comes before the
   <parameter>string</parameter> argument.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="returnvalues">
  &reftitle.returnvalues;
  <para>
   If <parameter>delimiter</parameter> is an empty string (""),
   <function>explode</function> will return &false;.  If
   <parameter>delimiter</parameter> contains a value that is not contained
   in <parameter>string</parameter>, then <function>explode</function> will
   return an array containing <parameter>string</parameter>.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="changelog">
  &reftitle.changelog;
  <para>
   <informaltable>
    <tgroup cols="2">
     <thead>
      <row>
       <entry>&Version;</entry>
       <entry>&Description;</entry>
      </row>
     </thead>
     <tbody>
      <row>
       <entry>5.1.0</entry>
       <entry>
        Support for negative <parameter>limit</parameter>s was added
       </entry>
      </row>
      <row>
       <entry>4.0.1</entry>
       <entry>
        The <parameter>limit</parameter> parameter was added
       </entry>
      </row>
     </tbody>
    </tgroup>
   </informaltable>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="examples">
  &reftitle.examples;
  <para>
   <example>
    <title><function>explode</function> examples</title>
    <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
// Example 1
$pizza  = "piece1 piece2 piece3 piece4 piece5 piece6";
$pieces = explode(" ", $pizza);
echo $pieces[0]; // piece1
echo $pieces[1]; // piece2

// Example 2
$data = "foo:*:1023:1000::/home/foo:/bin/sh";
list($user, $pass, $uid, $gid, $gecos, $home, $shell) = explode(":", $data);
echo $user; // foo
echo $pass; // *

?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
   </example>
  </para>
  <para>
   <example>
    <title><parameter>limit</parameter> parameter examples</title>
    <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
$str = 'one|two|three|four';

// positive limit
print_r(explode('|', $str, 2));

// negative limit (since PHP 5.1)
print_r(explode('|', $str, -1));
?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
    &example.outputs;
    <screen>
<![CDATA[
Array
(
    [0] => one
    [1] => two|three|four
)
Array
(
    [0] => one
    [1] => two
    [2] => three
)
]]>
    </screen>
   </example>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="notes">
  &reftitle.notes;
  &note.bin-safe;
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="seealso">
  &reftitle.seealso;
  <para>
   <simplelist>
    <member><function>preg_split</function></member>
    <member><function>str_split</function></member>
    <member><function>strtok</function></member>
    <member><function>implode</function></member>
   </simplelist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

</refentry>

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