Highlight certain words in an string

[markster]

What i need to do is take a string and highlight only certain words. But the words that need highlighting must come from a string that the user inputs. What I have so far:

PHP Code:

<?php
$input = "words to be highlighted"; //The word that need to be highlighted
$words = explode(" ",$input); //Split the words into an array
$string = "i need to have all the words in this string highlighted if they are from the array above"; //The string that needs to be searched for the above words
$search_words = explode(" ",$string); //Split the above string word-by-word
?>

Then I have no idea how to check the arrays against each other. Please help!

[toe_cutter]

Little psuedo-code

PHP Code:

foreach word_matcher in string;
  foreach word_string in input;
    if (word_string == word_matcher)
      highlight word 


[markster]

I'm running this script:

PHP Code:

<?php 
$input = "words to be highlighted";
$words = explode(" ",$input);
$string = "i need to have all the words in this string highlighted if they are from the array above";
$search_words = explode(" ",$string);
foreach ($word_match in $search_words) {
    foreach ($word_string in $words) {
        if ($word_string==$word_match) {
            $msg .= "<b>$word_match<b> ";
        } else {
            $msg .= "$word_match ";
        }
    }
}
echo($msg);
?>

But I get this error:

Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_STRING in /home/fhlinux178/s/stuff4web.co.uk/user/htdocs/tests/desc-highlight.php on line 6

[sde]

"in" is not valid in a foreach statement in php. since you have 2 arrays, you can utilize php's array_intersect() function.

i haven't tested this code, but this may work for you.

PHP Code:

 <?php 
$input = "words to be highlighted";
$words = explode(" ",$input);
$string = "i need to have all the words in this string highlighted if they are from the array above";
$search_words = explode(" ",$string);

// set an array of words that match in both arrays
$matched_words = array_intersect($search_words, $words);

// loop through array if it is an array and there is more than 0 items
if (is_array($matched_words) && count($matched_words) > 0) {

    // append $msg var in loop
    foreach ($matched_words as $each) {
        $msg .= "<b>".$each."</b> ";
    }

// set $msg error
} else {
    $msg = "There were no matches found.";
}

echo($msg);
?>

[markster]

how can this script be addapted to display the entire string in order and highlight the matches? right not im using the below script but it echos something like this:

i i i i need need need need to to to to have have have have all all all all the the the the words words words words in in in in this this this this string string string string highlighted highlighted highlighted highlighted if if if if they they they they are are are are from from from from the the the the array array array array above above above above

PHP Code:

<?php 
$input = "words to be highlighted";
$words = explode(" ",$input);
$string = "i need to have all the words in this string highlighted if they are from the array above";
$search_words = explode(" ",$string);
foreach ($search_words as $word_match) {
    foreach ($words as $word_string) {
        if ($word_string==$word_match) {
            $msg .= "<b>$word_match<b> ";
        } else {
            $msg .= "$word_match ";
        }
    }
}
echo($msg);
?>

[markster]

YAY! I've had success with the str_replace() method:

PHP Code:

<?php 
$input = "words to be highlighted";
$words = explode(" ",$input);
$string = "i need to have all the words in this string highlighted if they are from the array above";
foreach ($words as $term) {
    $string = str_replace($term,"<b>$term</b>",$string);
}
echo($string);
?>