str_replace

(PHP 4, PHP 5, PHP 7)

Replace all occurrences of the search string with the replacement string

mixed str_replace ( mixed $search, mixed $replace, mixed $subject [, int &$count ] )

This function returns a string or an array with all occurrences of search in subject replaced with the given replace value.

If you don't need fancy replacing rules (like regular expressions), you should always use this function instead of preg_replace().

Parameters:

The value being searched for, otherwise known as the needle. An array may be used to designate multiple needles.

replace

The replacement value that replaces found search values. An array may be used to designate multiple replacements.

subject

The string or array being searched and replaced on, otherwise known as the haystack.

If subject is an array, then the search and replace is performed with every entry of subject, and the return value is an array as well.

count

If passed, this will be set to the number of replacements performed.

Returns:

This function returns a string or an array with the replaced values.

Notes:

This function is binary-safe.

This function is case-sensitive. Use str_ireplace() for case-insensitive replace.

Examples:

Basic str_replace() examples

<?php
// Provides: <body text='black'>
$bodytag = str_replace("%body%", "black", "<body text='%body%'>");
 
// Provides: Hll Wrld f PHP
$vowels = array("a", "e", "i", "o", "u", "A", "E", "I", "O", "U");
$onlyconsonants = str_replace($vowels, "", "Hello World of PHP");
 
// Provides: You should eat pizza, beer, and ice cream every day
$phrase  = "You should eat fruits, vegetables, and fiber every day.";
$healthy = array("fruits", "vegetables", "fiber");
$yummy   = array("pizza", "beer", "ice cream");
 
$newphrase = str_replace($healthy, $yummy, $phrase);
 
// Provides: 2
$str = str_replace("ll", "", "good golly miss molly!", $count);
echo $count;
?>

Examples of potential str_replace() gotchas

<?php
// Order of replacement
$str     = "Line 1\nLine 2\rLine 3\r\nLine 4\n";
$order   = array("\r\n", "\n", "\r");
$replace = '<br />';
 
// Processes \r\n's first so they aren't converted twice.
$newstr = str_replace($order, $replace, $str);
 
// Outputs F because A is replaced with B, then B is replaced with C, and so on...
// Finally E is replaced with F, because of left to right replacements.
$search  = array('A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E');
$replace = array('B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F');
$subject = 'A';
echo str_replace($search, $replace, $subject);
 
// Outputs: apearpearle pear
// For the same reason mentioned above
$letters = array('a', 'p');
$fruit   = array('apple', 'pear');
$text    = 'a p';
$output  = str_replace($letters, $fruit, $text);
echo $output;
?>