PHP implements simple syntax highlighting function

function syntax_highlight($code){
   
    // this matches --> "foobar" <--
    $code = preg_replace(
        &#39;/"(.*?)"/U&#39;,
        &#39;"<span style="color: #007F00">$1</span>"&#39;, $code
    );
   
    // hightlight functions and other structures like --> function foobar() <---
    $code = preg_replace(
        &#39;/(\s)\b(.*?)((\b|\s)\()/U&#39;,
        &#39;$1<span style="color: #0000ff">$2</span>$3&#39;,
        $code
    );
   
    // Match comments (like /* */):
    $code = preg_replace(
        &#39;/(\/\/)(.+)\s/&#39;,
        &#39;<span style="color: #660066; background-color: #FFFCB1;"><i>$0</i></span>&#39;,
        $code
    );
   
    $code = preg_replace(
        &#39;/(\/\*.*?\*\/)/s&#39;,
        &#39;<span style="color: #660066; background-color: #FFFCB1;"><i>$0</i></span>&#39;,
        $code
    );
   
    // hightlight braces:
    $code = preg_replace(&#39;/(\(|\[|\{|\}|\]|\)|\->)/&#39;, &#39;<strong>$1</strong>&#39;, $code);
   
    // hightlight variables $foobar
    $code = preg_replace(
        &#39;/(\$[a-zA-Z0-9_]+)/&#39;, &#39;<span style="color: #0000B3">$1</span>&#39;, $code
    );
   
    /* The \b in the pattern indicates a word boundary, so only the distinct
    ** word "web" is matched, and not a word partial like "webbing" or "cobweb"
    */
   
    // special words and functions
    $code = preg_replace(
        &#39;/\b(print|echo|new|function)\b/&#39;,
        &#39;<span style="color: #7F007F">$1</span>&#39;, $code
    );
   
    return $code;
}
   
   
/*example-start*/
   
/*
** Create some example PHP code:
*/
   
$example_php_code = &#39;
// some code comment:
$example = "foobar";
   
print $_SERVER["REMOTE_ADDR"];
   
$array = array(1, 2, 3, 4, 5);
   
function example_function($str) {
    // reverse string
    echo strrev($obj);
}
   
print example_function("foo");
   
/*
** A multiple line comment
*/
   
print "Something: " . $example;&#39;;
   
   
// output the formatted code:
print &#39;<pre class="brush:php;toolbar:false">&#39;;
print syntax_highlight($example_php_code);
print &#39;