php - regex pattern that matches the string at the end of a string but is not followed by line break

Question

I use a regex pattern i preg_match php function. The pattern is let's say '/abc$/'. It matches both strings:

'abc'

and

'abc
'

The second one has the line break at its end. What would be the pattern that matches only this first string?

'abc'

Answer 1

The reason why /abc$/ matches both "abc " and "abc" is that $ matches the location at the end of the string, or (even without /m modifier) the position before the newline that is at the end of the string.

You need the following regex:

/abcz/

where z is the unambiguous very end of the string, or

/abc$/D

where the /D modifier will make $ behave the same way as z. See PHP.NET:

The meaning of dollar can be changed so that it matches only at the very end of the string, by setting the PCRE_DOLLAR_ENDONLY option at compile or matching time.

See the regex demo