note 106074 added to regexp.reference.onlyonce

(Just a guess) that should be happenning because (?>\D+) matches the whole string, so [!?] doesn't find any matches, because the cursor is at the very end of the string. Using look-behind assertion makes this pattern work: preg_match("#((?>\D+)|<\d+>)*(?<=[!?])#", "aaaaaaaaaa!", $matches); print_r($matches); Array ( [0] => aaaaaaaaaa! [1] => aaaaaaaaaa! ) ---- Server IP: 69.147.83.197 Probable Submitter: 93.81.243.238 ---- Manual Page -- http://www.php.net/manual/en/regexp.reference.onlyonce.php Edit -- https://master.php.net/note/edit/106074 Del: integrated -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/106074/integrated Del: useless -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/106074/useless Del: bad code -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/106074/bad+code Del: spam -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/106074/spam Del: non-english -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/106074/non-english Del: in docs -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/106074/in+docs Del: other reasons-- https://master.php.net/note/delete/106074 Reject -- https://master.php.net/note/reject/106074 Search -- https://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php