preg_split

Hi, I am getting a confusing error message when i try to do the following: i have a string, read from a file: 1234 <a href="#1234> 4321 </a> e- 1231 it is succesfully read in the var, $inp[$ix] using the file cmd: $inp = file("infile.txt"); i want to divide this string up into two vars, splitting the string at the <a tag, like this: $s_arr = preg_split('<a',$inseq[$ix], 500); but i get this error: Warning: No ending delimiter found in /usr/httpd/html/index.php on line 57 i, then tried adding a limit to the string length: $s_arr = preg_split('<a',$inseq[$ix], 500, PREG_NO_SPLIT_EMPTY); did not help. Any ideas? thanks in advance.