using variable within variable kinda thing - help needed

OK, let's check this out hey?

<?
$link_1 = "1__Text1";
$link_2 = "2__Text2";
$link_3 = "3__Text3";
$counter = 3;
/*Invalid Code Here
$value = explode(__,$link_.$counter);
*/
?>

PHP:

Now I want to explode it to separate
number and text, however I want to use the variable for exploding() to be $link_number, and I have tried $link_.$counter, $link_{$counter} and more variations, including escaping the variable: $freshlink = "\$link_".$counter."";

So a nudge in the right direction would prove incredibly helpful,

Thanks,

BP

 

I guess this one will work... I'm not sure and I'm not on my lappy to test it now:

${"link_$counter"}

PHP:

 

Something like...

$value = explode ( __, ${link . '_' . $counter} );

PHP:

 

Yup it works (selling_vcc). I didn't know you could do things like that with PHP, thanks a lot man.

Dataman, your method also works, but I prefer selling_vcc's vecause it looks cleaner.

Thanks both, rep added,

BP