How can I convert plain text URLs to HTML hyperlinks in PHP?

Converting Plain Text URLs into HTML Hyperlinks in PHP

Ensuring clickable hyperlinks in web pages is crucial for user navigation. In this guide, we'll explore various PHP solutions to convert plain text URLs within database records into HTML anchor links.

Pattern Matching with Regular Expressions:

To selectively transform only HTTP or HTTPS links, we can leverage the following regular expression:

$url = '~https?://(?!\/).*(?=[\s\n])~';

This pattern filters out links that start with a slash (/), ensuring we target only complete URLs.

Pattern and Conversion:

Below is a comprehensive script that employs this pattern to convert URLs:

$url = '~https?://(?!\/).*(?=[\s\n])~';
$string = preg_replace($url, '<a href="<pre class="brush:php;toolbar:false">$url = '@(http|https|ftp|ftps)\:\/\/(([\w_-]+(?:(?:\.[\w_-]+)+))([\w.,@?^=%&:/~+#-]*[\w@?^=%&/~+#-]))@';

$url = '@(http(s)?)?(://)?(([a-zA-Z])([-\w]+\.)+([^\s\.]+[^\s]*)+[^,.\s])@';

$email = '<a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>';

Alternative Options:

For a broader approach that captures all types of URLs, consider using this pattern:

In case the URL parsing strips the trailing s, try this instead:

Simple Solutions for Specific Cases:

If your plain text URLs primarily consist of email addresses, a straightforward solution for converting them into mailto links is:

Considerations:

Note that each PHP server's configuration may vary, potentially affecting the effectiveness of different scripts. Additionally, the specific requirements of each project might dictate which script suits it best.

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