How to clean an URL with Regex
A regex pattern to fix 1st level domains. Useful for when data is submitted from users:
Turns this:
google.com
www.google.com
google.com/
http://google.com
http://www.google.com
http://www.google.com/
Into This:
http://www.google.com
http://www.google.com
http://www.google.com
http://www.google.com
http://www.google.com
http://www.google.com
Expression:
Search: ((http://)?(www.)?([wd-]*?.)(w{2,4})/?) Replace: http://www.$4$5
PHP Usage:
# Fix the URL: $fixedURL = preg_replace('/((http://)?(www.)?([wd-]*?.)(w{2,4})/?)/i', 'http://www.$4$5', $previousURL);