[nashsclay]

Hello all. I am working on my site and I have the user enter in there phone number in this format xxxxxxxxx. It then goes to a mysql database. I then have the phone number appear on a different page but I want it to appear in this format (xxx-xxx-xxxx). Is this possible? I'll post a bit of code and the webpage.
Webpage with Phone number

<b><?php echo $lang['PHONE_NUMBER']; ?></b>:
<?php if ($ad['showphone'] == PHONE_SHOW) { ?>
	<?php echo $ad['phone']; ?>
<?php } else { ?>
	<i><?php echo $lang['PHONE_NOT_SHOWN']; ?></i>
<?php } ?>

Thanks all!

[the1corrupted]

Yes, you can. This is one work around I can think of off the top of my head...

$phone=$lang['PHONE_NUMBER']; //For simplicity's sake

$area_code=$phone[0].$phone[1].$phone[2];

$first_three=$phone[3].$phone[4].$phone[5];

$last_four=$phone[6].$phone[7].$phone[8].$phone[9];

$phone=$area_code."-".$first_three."-".$last_four;

//$phone will now output xxx-xxx-xxxx

EDIT: Sorry, I was thinking variable string length. If you have it as a static string, then this should work.

This post has been edited by the1corrupted: 30 July 2009 - 07:16 PM

[nashsclay]

I have it as big int right now is that ok or should I change it? Cuz that's the only way I could get a phone number to show all 9's like this 9999999999.

[the1corrupted]

No, it's fine as a big int. Numbers are numbers in PHP.

However, it is my tendancy to rip out the raw posted data (instead of storing a big-int) and instead store a string, or a varchar.

[mocker]

Kinda messy. sprintf() is really good at formatting numbers. I'm not sure what the correct format string you would need.

Substr is also a much cleaner option:

echo substr($ad['phone'],0,3)."-".substr($ad['phone'],3,3)."-".substr($ad['phone'],6)

[nashsclay]

Works like a charm! Thanks a ton!

[Valek]

You could also cheat and have the user enter the data into 3 different text boxes (one for area code, then the first three, then the last four), separated by a hyphen, limited in length to what they're supposed to be, checked to ensure the values are numeric, and then use sttring functions to stick them together for entry into the database.

Then if they want to edit it later, you can bring it back out of the database with explode(). This way, the user has to enter data in the format you specify, so you ensure data integrity.

[no2pencil]

In the past when I've done this, I've gathered the phone number into three variables.

Area code - Local - Main.

3 by 3 by 4.

Then I can use sprintf() to join them, or display them with (Area Code) Local - Main

So it's sort of the opposite of what has already been suggested. But it works for me.

[Valek]

Actually, that's roughly the same thing I suggested, no2.

[no2pencil]

Oops.

[Valek]

Great minds think alike and all that

[no2pencil]

Yup. Plus some can't read