<?php
 $str = "Fast String Manipulation";
 echo substr($str,0,4) . substr($str,-9);
?>

<?php
 $a = explode(":", "This:string:has:delimiters.");
 while (list(,$value) = each($a)) {
     if (strcmp($value, "has") == 0) {
         echo "had ";
     } else echo $value." ";
 }
?>