How to read PHP output row by row and create HTML-links from each row - pdf

Question

I'm having this PHP-script:
<?php
$old_path = getcwd();
chdir('/var/www/html/SEARCHTOOLS/');
$term1 = $_POST['query1'];
$term2 = $_POST['query2'];
$var = "{$term1} {$term2}";
$outcome = shell_exec("searcher $var");
chdir($old_path);
echo "<pre>$outcome</pre>";
?>
On a searchpage two searchwords are written and the searchbutton is pushed. The search result turns up as a webpage like this:
/var/www/html/SEARCHTOOLS/1974-1991.pdf:1
/var/www/html/SEARCHTOOLS/1974-1991.pdf:3
/var/www/html/SEARCHTOOLS/1974-1991.pdf:7
/var/www/html/SEARCHTOOLS/1974-1991.pdf:7
/var/www/html/SEARCHTOOLS/1974-1991.pdf:9
/var/www/html/SEARCHTOOLS/1974-1991.pdf:13
/var/www/html/SEARCHTOOLS/1974-1991.pdf:13
The result shows links to individual PDF-files and pagenumber in that file, but are not clickable.
Is there a way to make these links clickable so that it opens up for instance in Evince or Acrobat at the correct page number?
Many thanks in advance.
/Paul

Answer 1

I found a correct answer to my problem. It took some time, but here it is:
<?php
// Get current working directory and put it as variable
$old_path = getcwd();
// Change directory
chdir('/var/www/html/SEARCHTOOLS/');
// Create first variable as result of first searchword on searchpage
$term1 = $_POST['query1'];
// Create second variable as result of second searchword on searchpage
$term2 = $_POST['query2'];
// Create a variable combining first AND second variable
$var = "{$term1} {$term2}";
// Create a variable as the result of the executed search using command "sokare" and variable "$var"
$outcome = shell_exec("sokare $var");
// Return to starting directory
chdir($old_path);
// Split the varible "$outcome" per line representing every page in PDF-file where variable "$var" is found
foreach(preg_split("/((\r?\n)|(\r\n?))/", $outcome) as $line){
// Create a variable out of the given pagenumber in PDF-file
$end = substr($line, strpos($line, ":") + 1);
// Trim the line by removing leading directories from line
$line2 = str_replace('/var/www/html', '', $line);
// Change a string from lower to upper case
$line2 = str_replace('searchtools', 'SEARCHTOOLS', $line2);
// Remove the colon and anything behind it from line
$line2 = array_shift(explode(':', $line2));
// Add suffix to line to facilitate linking to pagenumber in PDF-file
$line3 = str_replace(" ", "_", $line2).'#page=';
// Add pagenumber from the variable "$end"
$line3 = str_replace(" ", "_", $line3).$end;
// Print each line as a correct URL-link
echo "<pre><a href=$line3>$line3</a></pre>";
}
?>
The search results will now turn up as (and are clickable):
/SEARCHTOOLS/1974-1991.pdf#page=1
/SEARCHTOOLS/1974-1991.pdf#page=3
/SEARCHTOOLS/1974-1991.pdf#page=7
Just a small edit. The line ....
// Add suffix to line to facilitate linking to pagenumber in PDF-file
$line3 = str_replace(" ", "_", $line2).'#page=';
...works better with:
// Add suffix to line to facilitate linking to pagenumber in PDF-file
if (substr($line2, -3) == 'pdf') {
$line3 = $line2.'#page=';
}