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# str_replace

(PHP 4, PHP 5)

str_replace — Replace all occurrences of the search string with the replacement string

### Description

mixed str_replace ( mixed `$search` , mixed `$replace` , mixed `$subject` [, int `&$count` ] )

This function returns a string or an array with all occurrences of `search` in `subject` replaced with the given `replace` value.

If you don't need fancy replacing rules (like regular expressions), you should always use this function instead of preg_replace().

### Parameters

If `search` and `replace` are arrays, then str_replace() takes a value from each array and uses them to search and replace on `subject`. If `replace` has fewer values than `search`, then an empty string is used for the rest of replacement values. If `search` is an array and `replace` is a string, then this replacement string is used for every value of `search`. The converse would not make sense, though.

If `search` or `replace` are arrays, their elements are processed first to last.

`search`

  The value being searched for, otherwise known as the needle. An array may be used to designate multiple needles.

`replace`

  The replacement value that replaces found `search` values. An array may be used to designate multiple replacements.

`subject`

  The string or array being searched and replaced on, otherwise known as the haystack.

  If `subject` is an array, then the search and replace is performed with every entry of `subject`, and the return value is an array as well.

`count`

  If passed, this will be set to the number of replacements performed.

### Return Values

This function returns a string or an array with the replaced values.

### Examples

Example #1 Basic str_replace() examples

`<?php
// Provides: <body text='black'>
$bodytag = str_replace("%body%", "black", "<body text='%body%'>");
// Provides: Hll Wrld f PHP
$vowels = array("a", "e", "i", "o", "u", "A", "E", "I", "O", "U");
$onlyconsonants = str_replace($vowels, "", "Hello World of PHP");
// Provides: You should eat pizza, beer, and ice cream every day
$phrase = "You should eat fruits, vegetables, and fiber every day.";
$healthy = array("fruits", "vegetables", "fiber");
$yummy = array("pizza", "beer", "ice cream");
$newphrase = str_replace($healthy, $yummy, $phrase);
// Provides: 2
$str = str_replace("ll", "", "good golly miss molly!", $count);
echo $count;
?>`

Example #2 Examples of potential str_replace() gotchas

`<?php
// Order of replacement
$str = "Line 1\nLine 2\rLine 3\r\nLine 4\n";
$order = array("\r\n", "\n", "\r");
$replace = '<br />';
// Processes \r\n's first so they aren't converted twice.
$newstr = str_replace($order, $replace, $str);
// Outputs F because A is replaced with B, then B is replaced with C, and so on...
// Finally E is replaced with F, because of left to right replacements.
$search = array('A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E');
$replace = array('B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F');
$subject = 'A';
echo str_replace($search, $replace, $subject);
// Outputs: apearpearle pear
// For the same reason mentioned above
$letters = array('a', 'p');
$fruit = array('apple', 'pear');
$text = 'a p';
$output = str_replace($letters, $fruit, $text);
echo $output;
?>`

### Notes

> Note: This function is binary-safe.

Caution

# Replacement order gotcha

Because str_replace() replaces left to right, it might replace a previously inserted value when doing multiple replacements. See also the examples in this document.

> Note:

> This function is case-sensitive. Use str_ireplace() for case-insensitive replace.

### See Also

- str_ireplace() - Case-insensitive version of str_replace.
- substr_replace() - Replace text within a portion of a string
- preg_replace() - Perform a regular expression search and replace
- strtr() - Translate characters or replace substrings

str_repeat
str_rot13
String Functions
PHP Manual