Split a text into sentences
Since you want to "split" sentences why are you trying to match them ?
For this case let's use preg_split().
Code:
$str = 'Fry me a Beaver. Fry me a Beaver! Fry me a Beaver? Fry me Beaver no. 4?! Fry me many Beavers... End';$sentences = preg_split('/(?<=[.?!])\s+(?=[a-z])/i', $str);print_r($sentences);Output:
Array( [0] => Fry me a Beaver. [1] => Fry me a Beaver! [2] => Fry me a Beaver? [3] => Fry me Beaver no. 4?! [4] => Fry me many Beavers... [5] => End)Explanation:
Well to put it simply we are spliting by grouped space(s) \s+ and doing two things:
(?<=[.?!]) Positive look behind assertion, basically we search if there is a point or question mark or exclamation mark behind the space.
(?=[a-z]) Positive look ahead assertion, searching if there is a letter after the space, this is kind of a workaround for the
no. 4problem.