php-regexHow to use PHP regex to match UTF8?

PHP regex can be used to match UTF8 strings by using the u modifier. This modifier enables the pattern to be treated as a UTF-8 string.

Example code

$string = 'This is a UTF-8 string';
$pattern = '/^This/u';

if (preg_match($pattern, $string)) {
    echo 'Match found';
}

Output example

Match found

Code explanation

• $string: This is the string that will be tested against the pattern.
• $pattern: This is the pattern that will be used to match the string. The u modifier is used to enable UTF-8 matching.
• preg_match(): This is the function used to match the string against the pattern.

Helpful links

• PHP preg_match()
• UTF-8 and Unicode FAQ for Unix/Linux

Edit this code on GitHub