php-regexHow to use PHP regex to match time?

PHP regex can be used to match time by using the preg_match() function. This function takes two parameters, the first being the regular expression pattern and the second being the string to match against.

$pattern = '/^([0-1]?[0-9]|2[0-3]):[0-5][0-9]$/';
$string = '12:30';

if (preg_match($pattern, $string)) {
    echo 'Time matched!';
}

Output example

Time matched!

Code explanation

• $pattern: This is the regular expression pattern used to match the time. It matches any time in the 24-hour format (e.g. 12:30).
• $string: This is the string to match against.
• preg_match(): This is the function used to match the regular expression pattern against the string. It returns true if the pattern matches, and false otherwise.

Helpful links

• PHP preg_match() Function
• Regular Expressions Tutorial

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