preg_match return all parts in array - php

Question

I've got following php code:
$match = array();
if (preg_match("%^(/\d+)(/test)(/\w+)*$%", "/25/test/t1/t2/t3/t4", $match))
print_r($match);
I'm getting this result:
Array ( [0] => /25/test/t1/t2/t3/t4 [1] => /25 [2] => /test [3] => /t4 )
What do i need to change in my regexp to get this result:
Array ( [0] => /25/test/t1/t2/t3/t4 [1] => /25 [2] => /test [3] => /t1 [4] => /t2 [5] => /t3 [6] => /t4)

Answer 1

you need preg_match_all
preg_match_all( '~(/\w+)~', $str, $matches );
in your situation you can use explode too

Answer 2

<?php
$str = '/a/b/1/2/3/4';
if(preg_match('/^(\/\w+)*$/', $str) && preg_match_all('/\/\w+/', $str, $matches)) {
$matches = $matches[0];
print_r($matches);
}
?>
Prints:
Array
(
[0] => /a
[1] => /b
[2] => /1
[3] => /2
[4] => /3
[5] => /4
)

Answer 3

Using your original example, you could use a recursive expression:
"%(/\w+)(?>[^(/\w+)]?|(?R))%"
This works my matching (/\w+) subexpressions in turn. Therfore the match for
"/a/b/1/2/3/4"
Would be:
Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[0] => /a [1] => /b [2] => /1 [3] => /2 [4] => /3 [5] => /4
)
...
However your later examples complicate things. A simple 0 or more match will only return the last (greedy) or first (ungreedy) match - not all submatches. preg_match_all won't be able to handle your dynamic expression.
You will have to clarify what you're trying to achieve in more detail before a suitable solution can be provided.