Re: preg_match html tags

Do it with one preg_match operation, like so: preg_match("/(?<=Purpose<p>).+?(?=<\/p>)/", $fpRead, $matches_new); Your string will reside in $matches_new[0]. EXAMPLE: $fpRead = "blah blah Purpose<p>This is the string you are after</p> blah blah <p>blah blah blah</p>"; preg_match("/(?<=Purpose<p>).+?(?=<\/p>)/", $fpRead, $matches_new); print_r($matches_new); EXPLANATION: (?<=Purpose<p>) - backward looking assertion. Read as: "Expression immediately following must match only strings with "Purpose<p>" immediately before." .+? - any character, 1 or more, ungreedy. Ungreedy because otherwise it will match right up to the last possible place it can. You want it to match up until the next '</p>', not the last '</p>'. (?=<\/p>) - forward looking assertion. Read as: "Expression immediately prior must match only strings with "</p>" immediately after." Hope this helps. Laurence "Kathy A Wright" <Kathy_A_Wright@Keane.com> wrote in message news:OF3C6E80D4.E9500592-ON85256FB8.006EE725-85256FB8.006F6C79@keane.com... >I am trying to get a string of text in an html page using preg_match. The > text starts after the Purpose</p> tag and ends before the next </p> tag. > When using preg_match it captures the first </p> tag on the page and not > the one after my starting point. > > Here is my starting point: > preg_match("/Purpose\<\/p\>/i", $fpRead, $matches_new) > > Here is my ending point: > preg_match("/<(\/p)>/s", $fpRead,$m_new); > I have also tried using offset > preg_match("/<(\/p)>/s", $fpRead,$m_new, $matches_new[0]); > > Does anyone have any suggestions? I also don't know if my syntax is > correct for the string </p>... > > Thanks > Any help will be appreciated. > > Kathy > > > Kathy A Wright | Keane Inc. | Suite: > Outside: 617-517-1706 | E-mail: kwright@keane.com > [ Mailing: 100 City Sq. Charlestown, MA 02129 USA ] >