PHP preg_match（）ungreedy匹配问题

Question

I use PHP pattern modifier "U" to invert the default greedy behavior with preg_match(). However, it doesn't work the way I want. My code:

$str = '<p>
<div><a aaa
    <a href="a.mov"></a>
  </div>
</p>';

$needle = "a.mov";

$pattern = "/\<a.*".preg_quote($needle, "/").".*\<\/a\>/sU";

preg_match($pattern, $str, $matches);
print_r($matches);

I'm trying to match on

<a href="a.mov"></a>

But this chunk of code returns me

<a aaa
    <a href="a.mov"></a>

Can someone shed me some light of where I did wrong?

Answer 1

My array is turning up empty as well. You have to be careful about linebreaks when you try to use Regex with HTML. There may be an issue with single line mode.

See: http://www.regular-expressions.info/dot.html

I've successfully parsed HTML with regex but I wouldn't do it going forward. Look into

http://simplehtmldom.sourceforge.net/

You will never look back.