How to remove line breaks (no characters!) from the string?

php

string-manipulation

performance-optimization

regex-patterns

byNikita Barsukov·Sep 25, 2024

Strip line breaks from a string fast with JavaScript's .replace() function, armed with a regex: /\r?\n|\r/g. This simple action annihilates multiple types of line breaks:

let cleanString = "String\nwith breaks.".replace(/\r?\n|\r/g, "");
// "Stringwith breaks."

The regex pattern /\r?\n|\r/g hones in on every variant of line breaks and replaces it with, literally, nothing—creating a pristine string without breaks.

Efficient brute force: str_replace() in PHP

When the race is on, and performance matters, wield str_replace() in PHP for a more efficient operation:

$cleanString = str_replace(array("\r", "\n"), '', $originalString);
// Say bye bye to visible line breaks.

Now, this snippet above transforms any input string by removing visible line breaks from it. It's not only swift but also power-conserving, helping you decrease CPU's energy munching and slash carbon emissions. Who said coders can't be eco-friendly?

Wrestling invisible line breaks

Next, we tackle the unseen foes, invisible line breaks, in PHP with preg_replace(). The regex pattern "/\r|\n/" is your manifesto:

$cleanString = preg_replace("/\r|\n/", '', $originalString);
// Invisible foes stand no chance!

This pattern affects all kinds of incorporeal line breaks and gets your string in shipshape.

Handling the quirks of database retrieved data

Consider a formatting surprise while displaying the strings or storing them in a database. Remember, they could house invisible line breaks that dodge your radar:

$retrievedData = "First line\r\nSecond line";
$displayString = str_replace(PHP_EOL, '', $retrievedData); // Taking care of your OS differences!

By exploiting PHP's PHP_EOL constant within str_replace(), you can kick out the line break characters per your server's operating system.

The str_replace vs. manual removal debate

Moving on to the great debate, painstaking, manual removal of line breaks versus the systematic str_replace(). Automation for the win! The latter offers a programmatic solution that translates to uniformity and scalability. Keep your strings consistent and goodbye human error!

Symbiotic relationship of nl2br() and str_replace()

The PHP function nl2br() — a prolific choice for HTML output formatting — lacks the punch alone for removing line breaks:

$brToCleanString = nl2br($originalString); // Adds <br /> or <br> tags before all newlines
$cleanString = str_replace(array("<br />", "<br>", "\r", "\n"), '', $brToCleanString); // BOOM! Clean string.