How can i replace a string in php url - php

Question

i made a search box which use $_GET method. I search for category and size.
When the category search submitted my url becomes:
index.php?category=1
through:
<li class=""><?php echo $category['name']; ?></li>
When size submitted my url is:
index.php?category=1&size=1
through:
<li id="">
<?php echo $size['name']; ?>
</li>
When i search for another size i have:
index.php?category=1&size=1&size=2
How can i just replace the size instead of adding it again in my url?

Answer 1

You have to use http_build_query function to build your URL from the associative array of parameters. And try to avoid doing it directly in a template. Move this code at least to the controller level.
// Somewhere at the controller
$category = ...;
$size = ...;
$searchParams = array();
if (!empty($category)) {
$name = $category['name'];
$searchParams['category'] = $category['id'];
}
if (!empty($size)) {
$name = $size['name'];
$searchParams['size'] = $size['id'];
}
$searchQuery = http_build_query($searchParams);
// Somehow pass it to the template
$this->addViewVar('searchUrl', $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] . $searchQuery);
$this->addViewVar('searchName', $name);
And in the template just use searchUrl variable:
<li class=""><?php echo $searchName; ?></li>
Another way to accomplish this task, if you don't have a separate controllers level, it's to create special functions build_search_url() and search_name():
function build_search_url($path, $category = null, $size = null) {
$searchParams = array();
if (!empty($category)) {
$searchParams['category'] = $category['id'];
}
if (!empty($size)) {
$searchParams['size'] = $size['id'];
}
$searchQuery = http_build_query($searchParams);
return $path . $searchQuery;
}
And then use it like this:
<li class="">
<a href="<?php echo build_search_url($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'], $category, $size); ?>">
<?php echo search_name($category, $size); ?>
</a>
</li>

Answer 2

Use
<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];?>
Instead of
<?php echo $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];?>
REQUEST_URI is adding query strings to your request.
Where as PHP_SELF gives plain file name e.g. index.php.

Answer 3

Easiest way IMHO:
Set the new value for the index in $_GET (or a copy, if you don’t want to manipulate the original array) – and then use http_build_query to create a new query string from that.

Answer 4

You should call a function in you "href" tag.
Inside, use http_build_query($array) to reconstruct the array.
$data = array('category' => $_GET['category']);
$data['size'] = $_GET['size'] ? $_GET['size'] : NEW_SIZE;
function getQuery($data) {
return http_build_query($data);
}
You can also use $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'], but I'm not sure that this function will replace your item value instead of adding it to the end of the query.