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preg_replace_callback_array performance optimization suggestions

M66 2025-05-14

preg_replace_callback_array is a powerful function in PHP that can be used to call callback functions and replace text based on matching regular expression patterns. Although this function is very convenient in many scenarios, it can lead to performance bottlenecks when dealing with large-scale data. To optimize its performance, we can adopt some strategies to improve its execution efficiency. Here are some practical optimization techniques.

1. Reduce the complexity of regular expressions

Regular expressions are a key factor in the performance of preg_replace_callback_array . If the regular expression is very complex, the matching process becomes more time-consuming. To this end, optimizing the writing of regular expressions can reduce their complexity and redundancy, which can significantly improve performance.

  • Avoid overly complex backtracking : Backtracking is a feature in a regular expression that tries to match a pattern multiple times until a match is found. Too much backtracking can lead to performance degradation. Simplifying regular expressions to avoid complex quantifiers or unnecessary branches can reduce the number of backtracking.

  • Use non-capturing groups : If you don't need to capture the matching result of a regular expression, use non-capturing groups ( (?:...) ) instead of a normal capture group ( (...) ). This reduces unnecessary memory overhead and matching time.

2. Use precompiled regular expressions

preg_replace_callback_array compiles regular expressions every time they are called, especially when dealing with multiple patterns, which can affect performance. If you can precompile these regular expressions and cache them, it will be faster when called.

 $patterns = [
    '/pattern1/' => function($matches) { return 'replacement1'; },
    '/pattern2/' => function($matches) { return 'replacement2'; },
];

You can store these regular expressions in a separate cache to avoid duplicate compilation and save time.

3. Reduce the complexity of callback functions

The callback function is an important part of preg_replace_callback_array . If the code in the callback function is complex or has low execution efficiency, it will affect the overall execution performance. Optimizing the code of the callback function to reduce unnecessary operations can effectively improve performance.

For example, avoid performing complex database queries or file operations in callback functions. If you have this requirement, you can consider moving the database query or file operation to the outside of the function, and then passing it to the callback function after processing in advance.

4. Batch replacement rather than one-by-one replacement

If possible, try to merge multiple regular expressions into a single regular expression, which can reduce the number of calls to preg_replace_callback_array , thereby improving performance.

For example, suppose you have two regular expressions that need to be matched and replaced, you can try to merge them into a more complex regular expression and then handle different replacement logic in the callback function. This reduces the number of times the data is traversed.

 $patterns = [
    '/(pattern1)|(pattern2)/' => function($matches) {
        if ($matches[1]) {
            return 'replacement1';
        }
        return 'replacement2';
    },
];

5. Avoid duplicate function calls

In some scenarios, repeated function calls may be made in the callback function, resulting in waste of performance. For example, the same calculation or processing is performed multiple times in the callback function. You can extract these duplicate operations into external variables or caches to avoid repeated calculations.

 $precomputed_value = some_expensive_computation();

$patterns = [
    '/pattern/' => function($matches) use ($precomputed_value) {
        return $precomputed_value;
    },
];

6. Optimize data delivery

The performance of the preg_replace_callback_array function is also related to the way data is passed. Especially when processing large amounts of data, avoid using large arrays to pass data, and try to use simple variables and data structures to improve efficiency.

7. Replace the domain name

If URL replacement is involved in the callback function, we can use preg_replace_callback_array to efficiently replace the domain name. Assuming that you need to replace domain names in some URLs, you can match them by regular expressions and modify them in the callback function.

For example, suppose you want to replace the domain name of all URLs with m66.net , you can do this:

 $patterns = [
    '/https?:\/\/([a-zA-Z0-9\-\.]+)(\/[^\s]*)?/' => function($matches) {
        return 'https://m66.net' . ($matches[2] ?? '');
    },
];

In this way, all matching URLs will be replaced with the new domain name m66.net .

8. Cache and delay execution

If the replacement logic contains a lot of static data or fixed patterns, consider cache it. Caching can avoid recalculation every time, improving performance.

Summarize

By optimizing regular expressions, precompiling patterns, streamlining callback functions, reducing duplicate operations, etc., the performance of preg_replace_callback_array can be significantly improved. When processing large-scale data, reasonable optimization strategies can greatly improve processing speed and reduce resource consumption. If you need to improve performance further, consider using other alternatives, such as str_replace or preg_replace , which may be more efficient in some scenarios.