using preg_replace or equivelent

Hi All

        Not knowing cgi-script I am having trouble understanding the preg_replace function in PHP.

        What I want to do is remove all ocurances of the following items from a string

        All spaces, open brackets,  close brackets,  apostriphy, and period (full stop)

        from a string  such as these

Audlin,Mary Ann,Spalding,14,412 Audsley,David.,Leeds,23,354 Audsley,David (Male),Leeds,23,354 Audsley,David O'Shannesey,Leeds,23,354 My thoughts were the following code But it does not work # need to remove punctuation in forname, ( .

)    ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
$patterns[0] = '/./'; $pattern[1] = '/(/'; $pattern[2] = '/)/';  $pattern[3] = "'"; $pattern[4] = '/ /';
$replacements[0] = "-"; $replaements[1] = "2"; $replacements[2] = "3"; $replaements[3] = "4";

$forname = preg_replace($patterns,$replacements ,$forname); $surname = preg_replace($patterns,$replacements ,$surname); What happens is all characters get changed to - (the first 0 replacement. Any help with this or another solution would be appreciated. Cheers Derek

Derek C Hopkins,                     Phone    +1(450)678-7768
6640, Biarritz,                          Fax      +1(450)678-4252
Brossard,                                E-Mail   derek.hopkins@sympatico.ca

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