Web Design and Internet Marketing Greenville, SC

PHP script to properly format phone numbers

Andrew Turner (aka Arcitech) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:37:45 +0000

Summary: One of the biggest challenges as a programmer lies in the fact that you have to think ahead for your users so that things work seamlessly. On any site involving input fields that interact with a database, it is critical that the information be validated before going into the database, and with a bit of forethought you can make sure that the inputs are not only valid, but in a standardized format.

Consider phone numbers as an example. If you ask 10 people to write down their phone numbers, you might get several different responses:

555.5555
555-5555
555.555.5555
555-555-5555
(555)555.5555
(555)555-5555
5555555
5555555555
1.555.555.5555
1-555-555-5555
1(555)555.5555
1(555)555-5555

You get the idea.

Concept: While you could write code that forces users to type in the phone number a certain way, you can also just code better and with your user in mind to allow them to enter it however they want. For many local businesses, it may not be necessary at all to have an area code so why demand this?

Problem: I searched for a long time, but could not find an open-source PHP script that would automatically format a phone number for me that would handle all these various input types. So I went ahead and wrote it and am posting it on here for whoever may find use in it.

Difficulty Level: Super Easy (just upload this code your the server and pass in the phone number as the only parameter)
Prerequisites: To do this you must have access to a local or remote server that can process the script.
Implementation:

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function formatPhone($input){
$l=strlen($input);
if($l==8){// check for ###-#### or ###.####
if(strpos($input,"-") != false) {//This is redundant since I put it right back, but hey you can take and modify this however you want
$FixedPhone = $input;
} elseif(strpos($input,".") != false) {//This is important because I don't want periods in the phone numbers
$phoneChunks = explode(".", $input);
$FixedPhone = $phoneChunks[0]."-".$phoneChunks[1];//Concatenate the two pieces together
}
}elseif($l==7){//Check for #######
$input=str_split($input);
$FixedPhone=$input[0].$input[1].$input[2]."-".$input[3].$input[4].$input[5].$input[6];//Concatenate digit by digit
}elseif(strpos($input,")") != false) {//Check for the ')' bracket, I assume that if this exists then the first part '(' also is there.
if(strpos($input,"-") != false) {
$phoneChunks = explode("-", $input);
} elseif(strpos($input,".") != false) {
$phoneChunks = explode(".", $input);
}
$phoneChunks[0]=preg_replace("/[^0-9()]/", "", $phoneChunks[0]);//
$FixedPhone=$phoneChunks[0]."-".$phoneChunks[1];
}elseif($l==10){
$input=str_split($input);//Split and concatenate digit by digit
$FixedPhone="(".$input[0].$input[1].$input[2].")".$input[3].$input[4].$input[5]."-".$input[6].$input[7].$input[8].$input[9];
}else{
if(strpos($input,".") != false) {
$input=preg_replace("/[^.]/", "-", $input);
}
$phoneChunks = explode("-", $input);
if(strlen($phoneChunks[0])==5){
$phoneChunks[0]=preg_replace("/[^0-9]/", "", $phoneChunks[0]);
}
$FixedPhone = "(".$phoneChunks[0].")".$phoneChunks[1]."-".$phoneChunks[2];
}
if($FixedPhone!="()-"&&$FixedPhone!="-"){
return $FixedPhone;
}
}

Explanation: First, it is assumed that this is for formatting an input only and NOT for validation in any way shape or form. I already have separate validation scripts that check for malicious code and non-numeric characters. The comments should speak for themselves.

Summary: I am aware that there are probably 100 other ways to do this and that this code can be enhanced. Also, I don’t claim that there isn’t someone out there who could manage to enter a phone number in such a way that this function won’t even work on, but at least it is a pretty good start for 99.999% of the people out there. Do you have any questions, comments, or ideas to improve this code? If so, drop me a line here and let me know.

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Kamran Popkin

Doug Greathouse (aka Captian Arcimedia) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:12:59 +0000

Connect with Kamran:

Kamran Popkin

Creative Director at Swag Club

As a true bio for Kamran cannot be found online and he is reluctant to give one, I have decided to tell you what I know and think about Kamran Pompkin. I think of him as a mad toy making genius. He has oodles and oodles of creativity. Look up “out of the box thinker” in the dictionary, I don’t really think they put whole phrases in the dictionary, but if they did there to the left would be Kamran’s smiling mug. He is also one of the most unique individuals you will ever meet and it does not seem like an act – it is truly his persona. Although I am not in his inner circle (those otherwise known as instigators) he makes me feel like I need to be, as if I am missing out on something, Which I am sure I am. He does this without seeming like an elitist because the people in this inner circle are not all CEO’s, Heads of States, and such, just cool cats that he likes and likes what they do and vice versa. That may be totally wrong, how am I truly to know what the criteria of becoming an instigator is.

Kamran has taken an industry of “koozie mongers” – his words not mine – and carved out something extraordinary and special. If you really want to know the value of Kamran and Swag Club seek out one of their clients. They will tell you the story of how Kamran has helped tell a story with their brand (koozies don’t normally help tell stories) and provided them with something that truly felt original and fit their brand perfectly.

Swag Club put logos on cool things- sometimes off the shelf, sometimes custom built. And there are an infinity of cool things to pull you to ‘wow’. Infinity! And beyond!
Their pledge to you is this- they will give you anything humanly possible, including cayenne pepper hot sauce, Kamran and his team are going to ask a few questions first. They want to ensure that their products are part of a project or program that really integrates into your overall message.
They will never ‘just write up an order’ cause it was easy. They care too much to serve you so lightly.
Call them. 864.316.6263

Swag Club is a mysterious and uniquely creative company. To learn more about them follow the interwebs – you may or may not find anything about them.

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Russ Davis – Sandler Training

Doug Greathouse (aka Captian Arcimedia) — Tue, 31 May 2011 13:22:26 +0000

Connect with Russ:

Russ Davis

Principal at Sandler Training in Greenville, Sc

Innovative and effective training presented by award-winning Sandler trainer Russ Davis puts his clients a step ahead of the competition, and provides them with the path to reach their professional goals. We at the Sandler Sales Institute® are committed to offering our clients revolutionary training through our powerful public and private in-house training programs.

Russ Davis, recently opened a Sandler Sales Institute® office in the Greenville Spartanburg area. He has years of management and business development experience, most recently he has spent seven years associated with the Sandler Sales Institute in Pittsburgh, PA. His experience along with the proven Sandler training methodology produces exceptional results.
Russ was CEO of an environmental services firm until 1991, when he founded another environmental firm in Pennsylvania. That firm was sold to Waste Management Inc. in 1997. He has a BS from the University of Delaware and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.

Connect – Follow – Engage

Russ Davis

From our local training facilities and through private in-house programs, the Sandler Sales Institute provides professional training and unique sales and sales management solutions. Each solution is uniquely designed to address the challenges faced by company owners, salespeople, sales managers and other professionals who are charged with business development.
Explore our site and learn about our programs. We think you’ll agree that the Sandler Selling System generates power through reinforcement – and hope you’ll take the first steps to finding out how it can work for you.

“You won’t fail because we won’t let you.”

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Phil Yanov

Doug Greathouse (aka Captian Arcimedia) — Mon, 23 May 2011 16:41:40 +0000

Connect with Phil:

Phil Yanov

Founder of Tech After Five and President Of The GSA Technology Council

Phil Yanov is a writer, columnist, speaker, podcaster and occasional radio guy who has spent his whole life working in technology. He has been an invited professor at the university level. He has spoken to and inspired packed auditoriums of technology professionals and is the Founder and President of the GSA Technology Council as well as the IT Leadership Council.

He discusses technology issues in his Gears and Gadgets column and may be heard on the Your Day Radio Program which is carried across South Carolina on the NPR affiliate stations.

2008, 2009 – Innoventure Entrepreneur Coaching Committee Chair
2008 – SBDC Regional Advisory Committee
2007-2009 – SBDC Advisory Committee
2006-2008 – Conference Director for SC Statewide CIO conference
2005 – Public Relations Chair for the Innoventure Capital Conference
2005 – Technology Chair for the Upstate Council on Entrepreneurial Development

Connect – Follow – Engage

Phil Yanov

Tech After Five is a series of free to attend, sponsor supported, professional networking events for tech professionals and entrepreneurs and the people who can help them reach their goals.

The GSA Technology Council provides networking, education, business development, and community service opportunities to career minded technology professionals and high-tech entrepreneurs through its newsletter, meetings, job fair, and community training programs. Founded in 2002, the council has grown to over 13,000 subscribers.

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Jim Rohrer

Doug Greathouse (aka Captian Arcimedia) — Mon, 16 May 2011 13:13:14 +0000

Connect with Jim:

Jim Rohrer

Banking Executive, Business Consultant, and Artist

Jim Rohrer is a Tuscan polymath: scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician and writer. Born at Vinci in the region of Florence, the illegitimate son of a notary, Piero da Vinci, and a peasant girl, Caterina, Jim was educated in the studio of the renowned Florentine painter, Verrocchio. Much of his earlier working life was spent in the service of Ludovico il Moro in Milan where several of his major works were created. He also worked in Rome, Bologna and Venice, spending his final years in France at the home given him by King François I.

Jim has often been described as the archetype of the “Renaissance man” or universal genius, a man whose seemingly infinite curiosity was equalled only by his powers of invention. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever.

*Some or all of the above may or may not be true – it is the bio taken from Jim’s website.

Website: jim-rohrer.com

WingCash is a web payment platform that allows individuals and businesses to pay one another with cash in the form of electronic coins and bills. They refer to a single coin or bill represented online, regardless of denomination, as a WingCash Note, which is similar to a bank-note.

WingCash Notes are issued by bank partners, not by the United States Federal Reserve. This is possible because WingCash Notes do not represent additional currency, but rather, existing currency held at the bank. WingCash Notes represent and serve a similar purpose on the Internet as physical currency.
You can learn more about Wingcash on their website

Connect – Follow – Engage

Jim Rohrer

Wing Cash

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Maxim Williams – Bon Secour St Francis Health Systems

Doug Greathouse (aka Captian Arcimedia) — Wed, 04 May 2011 22:02:16 +0000

Connect with Maxim:

Maxim Williams

Community Relationship Building Director
Bon Secour St Francis Health Systems

Maxim, a former entrepreneur and consultant while living in sunny San Diego, decided in 2008 to refocus his skills and talents towards improving community through ‘social’ entrepreneurship, community relationship building, and an integrative point of view. He is the Director of Community Relationship Building at Bon Secours St. Francis Health System in Greenville South Carolina. Locally he spearheads the exciting transformation happening in the historic Sterling neighborhood, where he has seeded many “firsts” for Greenville and has quickly gained local, regional, and national recognition for his work.

Website: stfrancishealth.org/communityrelationships or
bshsi.org/hci.sc

To learn more about Bon Secours St Francis Health Systems involvement in Greenville Communities visit Bon Secours St Francis Health Systems – Our Healthy Communities

Connect – Follow – Engage

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Barry Chandler – The Bar Blogger

Doug Greathouse (aka Captian Arcimedia) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:54:25 +0000

Connect with Barry:

Barry Chandler

Founder of Interactive Hospitality

Interactive Hospitality is an online marketing agency for bars, restaurants and hotels. Barry started working with bars and restaurants in 2004 when he founded Barkeeper.ie, an online management toolkit used by more than 800 Irish businesses to help manage their hospitality operations and was voted Ireland’s “Best Business to Business Website” at the 2007 Digital Media Awards. This was followed by the founding of Barkeeper.co.uk for the UK market, ManageYourBar.com for the US market as well as TheBarBlogger.com, a free online resource that helps bars attract more clients using social media.More than 2500 businesses have used his services to achieve higher results and establish the procedures necessary for an efficient operation. He advises owner operated businesses as well as multi-unit chains how to leverage online marketing and social channels to attract and keep a loyal community of customers without the reliance on traditional advertising costs.

The following is an interview we did with Barry about beer, bars, and social media marketing.

SHM:What do you see as the most common mistakes bar & restaurants make in regards to their website?

Barry: One common mistake is forgetting that a website only needs opening times, contact information and a menu. Everything else is just fluff. Another sin is a website built in archaic flash technology that cannot be viewed on a mobile device, or one that starts blasting music every time you open the site.

SHM: What is your favorite marketing campaign for a restaurant or bar you have helped implement or seen?

Barry: We’re working with a restaurant at the moment, Schmidt’s, that has a fanatical customer base who order their famous German sausages from all over the U.S. It was the customers themselves who began taking pictures of the Bahama Mama sausages when they arrived and posting them on the Facebook Wall. That gave us the idea to include a card in every package that says “Sending your Bahama Mamas packing from Columbus, OH all the way to ___________”, encouraging customers to take a photo and share it on Facebook. .

SHM:What is your favorite blog post you have written?

Barry: My favorite blog post was “The most disgusting thing you can be given in a bar” because it really struck a nerve. In fact, I still shudder when I think about it.

SHM: What are your thoughts on restaurants and bars participating in sites like Groupon and Living Social?

Barry: I would normally only recommend their usage by new bars and restaurants looking to reach an audience of customers who have never heard of them. Most bars and restaurants are unprepared for the influx of customers. Staff are often unhappy they are not receiving the same tips, and reports show poor retention of new customers. Bars and restaurants often make the mistake of promoting the offer to their current customer base, who would be coming in anyway without the deal. This means they are suddenly losing revenue that was there before the deal.

SHM: What restaurant or bar do you feel is doing a great job in terms of how it uses social media?

Barry: Adoption rates are increasing as more and more bar owners realize the poor return on traditional advertising and the obvious benefits of building a community around their bar online. Although we don’t work with them directly, we love what Joe Sorge does with A.J. Bombers in Milwaukee. I think he can be credited with showing just what social media can do when put in the right hands.

SHM: What is your favorite beer?

Barry: Magners Irish Cider, which is becoming more widely available in the U.S. now. It’s a great summer drink.

SHM: Marketing aside, do you have a favorite bar or restaurant?

Barry: I love The Rossi in Columbus, OH. It is an old art deco neighborhood bar with great food and intimate surroundings.

SHM: What in your opinion are the ingredients to “wow” service?

Barry: Value, at any price point (with a little sprinkle of salt and pepper).

SHM: What is your take on the effectiveness of mobile marketing for bars or restaurants?

Barry: Like anything, it depends on the business and needs to be tested. If two bars on the same street try something, it might work for one and not the other. With so many new technologies coming along, everything needs to be tested.

SHM: Where are you currently Mayor of on foursquare and have they given you any perks?

Barry: Actually, I haven’t been lucky enough to claim a mayorship, which is strange considering the amount of promotion I do. Somehow, I’ve never been able to snag the title from other loyal Foursquare users.

SHM: One of your recent blog posts was titled – 5 reasons Social Media may never work for your bar or restaurant - What are a couple of those reasons?

Barry: Social media won’t work for a bar or restaurant if their business isn’t social. Social media builds an online community, but how can that be possible if you don’t have one offline? It also won’t work if you seek short term gains. It takes time to build a community, but there is a profitable return if you are in it for the long haul.

To learn more about Barry and Interactive Hospitality visit thebarblogger.com

Please Feel free to leave a comment or question for us or Barry in the comments and we would be glad to respond.

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 3

Doug Greathouse (aka Captian Arcimedia) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:48:20 +0000

Table of contents for Trey pennington Interview

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 1
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 2
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 3

Connect with Trey Pennington:

Trey Pennington

Marketing pro, speaker, author, and dreamer.

This is Part Three of our interview with Trey Pennington. Trey is a well respected professional marketer who travels the world speaking on social media and the power of storytelling. If you have not seen

This is the third of a three part series with Trey Pennington.
Follow arcimedia on twitter for notifications of further releases.

Below are listed several ways to learn more about and get connected with Trey Pennington.
Catch His Radio Show on Blog Talk Radio
Trey’s Blog
The Pennington Group

Keep up with Social Media Club Greenville and
The Social Story Conference

Please feel free to comment or ask questions below as we are sure Trey will follow the conversation here and reply.

Previous in series

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 2

Doug Greathouse (aka Captian Arcimedia) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:39:39 +0000

Table of contents for Trey pennington Interview

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 1
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 2
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 3

Connect with Trey Pennington:

Trey Pennington

Marketing pro, speaker, author, and dreamer.

This is Part Two of our interview with Trey Pennington. Trey is a well respected professional marketer who travels the world speaking on social media and the power of storytelling. If you have not seen Part One you can find it here.

This is the second of a three part series with Trey Pennington.
Follow arcimedia on twitter for notifications of further releases.

Below are listed several ways to learn more about and get connected with Trey Pennington.
Catch His Radio Show on Blog Talk Radio
Trey’s Blog
The Pennington Group

Keep up with Social Media Club Greenville and
The Social Story Conference

Please feel free to comment or ask questions below as we are sure Trey will follow the conversation here and reply.

Previous in series Next in series

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 1

Doug Greathouse (aka Captian Arcimedia) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:40:00 +0000

Table of contents for Trey pennington Interview

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 1
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 2
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 3

Connect with Trey:

Trey Pennington

Marketing pro, speaker, author, and dreamer.

Trey Pennington is a marketing pro, business connector, and storyteller for business who’s passion is helping business owners uncover their hidden treasures and put them to work. He uses social media to connect with audiences around the globe. HubSpot ranks his Facebook profile as one of the most influential in the world and his Twitter profile in the top 0.01%. He’s helped start ten Social Media Clubs in the US, UK, and Australia and routinely speaks to groups about using social media to make connections and have conversations leading to commerce.

This is the first of a three part series with Trey Pennington.
Follow arcimedia on twitter for notifications of further releases.

Below are listed several ways to learn more about and get connected with Trey Pennington.
Catch His Radio Show on Blog Talk Radio
Trey’s Blog
The Pennington Group

Keep up with Social Media Club Greenville and
The Social Story Conference

Please feel free to comment or ask questions below as we are sure Trey will follow the conversation here and reply.

Next in series

Web Design and Internet Marketing Greenville, SC

PHP script to properly format phone numbers

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Kamran Popkin

Kamran Popkin

Creative Director at Swag Club

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Russ Davis – Sandler Training

Russ Davis

Principal at Sandler Training in Greenville, Sc

Connect – Follow – Engage

Russ Davis

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Phil Yanov

Phil Yanov

Founder of Tech After Five and President Of The GSA Technology Council

Connect – Follow – Engage

Phil Yanov

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Jim Rohrer

Jim Rohrer

Banking Executive, Business Consultant, and Artist

Connect – Follow – Engage

Jim Rohrer

Wing Cash

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Maxim Williams – Bon Secour St Francis Health Systems

Maxim Williams

Community Relationship Building Director Bon Secour St Francis Health Systems

Connect – Follow – Engage

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Barry Chandler – The Bar Blogger

Barry Chandler

Founder of Interactive Hospitality

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 3

Table of contents for Trey pennington Interview

Trey Pennington

Marketing pro, speaker, author, and dreamer.

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 2

Table of contents for Trey pennington Interview

Trey Pennington

Marketing pro, speaker, author, and dreamer.

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Trey Pennington Part 1

Table of contents for Trey pennington Interview

Trey Pennington

Marketing pro, speaker, author, and dreamer.

Community Relationship Building Director
Bon Secour St Francis Health Systems