PHP strchr() Function: Syntax, Parameters, Return Values, and Usage Examples

Function Overview

The strchr() function is a PHP string handling function that searches for a specified character or substring within a string and returns that character (or substring) together with the rest of the string.

Syntax

string strchr ( string $haystack , mixed $needle [, bool $before_needle = false ] )

Parameter Description

$haystack

: The string to be searched. $needle: The character or substring to look for. $before_needle (optional): When set to true, the function returns the part of the string before the found character or substring.

Return Value

If the specified character or substring is found, the function returns that character (or substring) and everything that follows it; otherwise it returns false.

Detailed Usage

Finding a character

Example of locating the character 'W' in a string:

$str = "Hello World";
$char = strchr($str, 'W');
echo $char; // outputs: World

Finding a substring

Example of locating the substring "World":

$str = "Hello World";
$subStr = strchr($str, 'World');
echo $subStr; // outputs: World

Getting the part before the needle

Set $before_needle to true to retrieve the portion before the found character:

$str = "Hello World";
$before = strchr($str, 'W', true);
echo $before; // outputs: Hello

Handling a missing needle

If the needle is not present, the function returns false, which can be checked with a conditional statement:

$str = "Hello World";
$char = strchr($str, 'Z');
if ($char === false) {
    echo "Character not found";
} else {
    echo $char;
}

Summary

The strchr() function is a versatile PHP tool for searching strings, capable of returning the found portion, the substring before it, or indicating failure, making it useful for various string manipulation tasks.