How to Filter Array Values Like SQL LIKE \'%search%\' Using PHP?

Filtering Array Values Like SQL LIKE '%search%' Using PHP

To implement an autocomplete feature using JQueryUI, retrieving alphabetic matches from an array based on user input is essential. Consider an array ["orange", "blue", "green", "red", "pink", "brown", "black"]. If the user enters "bl," you want to display only ["blue", "black"].

Instead of using array_filter with a custom function, a more efficient solution is to employ the preg_grep function, which allows for filtering using regular expressions.

Example:

<code class="php">$input = preg_quote('bl', '~'); // Protect against regex special characters
$data = array('orange', 'blue', 'green', 'red', 'pink', 'brown', 'black');

$result = preg_grep('~' . $input . '~', $data);

print_r($result); // Output: Array ( [0] => blue [1] => black )</code>

Explanation:

• preg_quote('bl', '~') escapes special characters in the input string, ensuring that it is treated literally in the regular expression.
• The regular expression ~ . $input . ~ searches for elements in the array that contain the input string "bl" anywhere within the value.
• preg_grep applies this regular expression filter to the $data array, returning an array containing only matches that satisfy the condition.

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