Replace HTML tag wth content depending on attribute

Hi,
Lets say I have an array of names like this...

$names['john'] = 'John Fisher';
$names['frank'] = 'Frank Jones';
$names['dave'] = 'Dave Williams';
$names['adam'] = 'Adam King';

PHP:

I then had a string, like this...

$string = 'Johns full name is <tag name="john"/>.<br/>
Franks full name is <tag name="frank"/>';

PHP:

That should result in this...

I basically want to replace the <tag> element with the persons full name. It is the 'name' attribute that specifies which name to use from the array. I know str_replace will do this, but I can't figure out how.

Thanks!

 

I figured it out! Thanks!

 

please post how you did it

 

please explain how you did??

 

$output = preg_replace("#\<tag.+name\=[\"|\'](.+)[\"|\'].*\>.*\<\/tag\>#U","{tag_$1}",$output);

PHP:

I then looped through the array of names are replaced {tag_x} using str_replace from the array.

 

thx for the reply...