Add #HashTag and @UserName Twitter links to plain text

29 June 2016 by jim

Github

<?php

/**

 * Takes a string argument, which may include URLs, twitter #links or twitter @links,

 * imbeds html <a> tags into the string and returns it.

 * 

 * @param  [type] $string [description]

 * @return [type] $string [description]

 */

function getLinksFromTwitterText($string)

{

    // Converts a plain text url to a hyperlink

    $string = preg_replace('~(?:(https?)://([^\s<]+)|(www\.[^\s<]+?\.[^\s<]+))(?<![\.,:])~i', '<a href="$0" ' . $target . ' " title="$0">$0</a>', $string);

    // Converts hashtags to a link

    $string = preg_replace("/#([A-Za-z0-9\/\.]*)/", "<a href=\"http://twitter.com/search?q=$1\" " . $target . " >#$1</a>", $string);

    // Converts @user to a link

    $string = preg_replace("/@([A-Za-z0-9\/\.]*)/", "<a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/$1\" $target >@$1</a>", $string);

    return $string;

}

What does it do

This short and simple PHP function takes a plain text String as it’s input and returns rich text HTML. If any #HashTags, Twitter @UserNames or URLs are included within the input string then these are converted to clickable links to their Twitter counterpart.

Usage example

Using the getLinksFromTwitterText function

// Create a string that contains a Twitter username and a hashtag
$input = "I'm @f13dev on Twitter and I like #code";
// Send the string to the getLinksFromTwitterText function
getLinksFromTwitterText($input);

The above example would return:

I'm <a href="https://twitter.com/f13dev">@f13dev</a> on Twitter and I like <a href-"https://twitter.com/search?q=code">#code</a>

Or as formatted HTML: I’m @f13dev on Twitter and I like #code

Code

/**
 * Takes a string argument, which may include URLs, twitter #links or twitter @links,
 * imbeds html <a> tags into the string and returns it.
 * 
 * @param  String $string Plain text input
 * @return String $string HTML tweet with hyperlinks
 */
function getLinksFromTwitterText($string)
{
    // Converts a plain text url to a hyperlink
    $string = preg_replace('~(?:(https?)://([^\s<]+)|(www\.[^\s<]+?\.[^\s<]+))(?<![\.,:])~i', '<a href="$0" ' . $target . ' " title="$0">$0</a>', $string);
    // Converts hashtags to a link
    $string = preg_replace("/#([A-Za-z0-9\/\.]*)/", "<a href=\"http://twitter.com/search?q=$1\" " . $target . " >#$1</a>", $string);
    // Converts @user to a link
    $string = preg_replace("/@([A-Za-z0-9\/\.]*)/", "<a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/$1\" $target >@$1</a>", $string);
    return $string;
}