Is this possible? (just a question, no code)

Let's say we have something like this in the database:

"Player Jack attacked you and killed 1,000 hustlers, 284,234 bouncers and 0 thugs."

Pure text. Would it be possible to make a script that pulls the numbers from the text and makes the variables?

Like $deadhustlers = 1000; $deadbouncers = 284234; $deadthugs = 0;

They would always be in the same order in the text. I don't really know of any functions that are able to do something.

edit: I could also also put some random tags around the numbers like <deadthug>0</deadthug> thugs. If that would make it easier to pull them with another script?

I don't want to log the dead "units" separately since they are already in the log text, but I will if it's my last option.

What do you think?

 

http://www.php.net/explode

 

IMO the best solution would be to put some tags around the numbers and use preg_match to pull them out.

 

you may use http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.preg-match.php

 

Obviously xOx is trying to parse an external source (may be a oGame like site), so he won't be able to modify the text.
Furthermore, as young coder suggested you can solve it easily with a regular expression:

$line = 'Player Jack attacked you and killed 1,000 hustlers, 284,234 bouncers and 0 thugs.';
if (preg_match('/([0-9,]+)[^0-9]+([0-9,]+)[^0-9]+([0-9,]+)/', $line, $result)) {
  var_dump($result);
}

PHP:

$result will be:

Array
(
    [0] => 1,000 hustlers, 284,234 bouncers and 0
    [1] => 1,000
    [2] => 284,234
    [3] => 0
)

Code (markup):

 

Thanks guys, especially caprichoso, I'm going to use that method. Thanks again.