Email validation using regular expression in PHP

I am pretty much new with regular expression. I am developing a project in PHP and i need to validate email address. After searching in this site and google i found the following regular expression says it should work best.

if (preg_match("/^(?!(?:(?:x22?x5C[x00-x7E]x22?)|(?:x22?[^x5Cx22]x22?)){255,})(?!(?:(?:x22?x5C[x00-x7E]x22?)|(?:x22?[^x5Cx22]x22?)){65,}@)(?:(?:[x21x23-x27x2Ax2Bx2Dx2F-x39x3Dx3Fx5E-x7E]+)|(?:x22(?:[x01-x08x0Bx0Cx0E-x1Fx21x23-x5Bx5D-x7F]|(?:x5C[x00-x7F]))*x22))(?:.(?:(?:[x21x23-x27x2Ax2Bx2Dx2F-x39x3Dx3Fx5E-x7E]+)|(?:x22(?:[x01-x08x0Bx0Cx0E-x1Fx21x23-x5Bx5D-x7F]|(?:x5C[x00-x7F]))*x22)))*@(?:(?:(?!.*[^.]{64,})(?:(?:(?:xn--)?[a-z0-9]+(?:-[a-z0-9]+)*.){1,126}){1,}(?:(?:[a-z][a-z0-9]*)|(?:(?:xn--)[a-z0-9]+))(?:-[a-z0-9]+)*)|(?:[(?:(?:IPv6:(?:(?:[a-f0-9]{1,4}(?::[a-f0-9]{1,4}){7})|(?:(?!(?:.*[a-f0-9][:]]){7,})(?:[a-f0-9]{1,4}(?::[a-f0-9]{1,4}){0,5})?::(?:[a-f0-9]{1,4}(?::[a-f0-9]{1,4}){0,5})?)))|(?:(?:IPv6:(?:(?:[a-f0-9]{1,4}(?::[a-f0-9]{1,4}){5}:)|(?:(?!(?:.*[a-f0-9]:){5,})(?:[a-f0-9]{1,4}(?::[a-f0-9]{1,4}){0,3})?::(?:[a-f0-9]{1,4}(?::[a-f0-9]{1,4}){0,3}:)?)))?(?:(?:25[0-5])|(?:2[0-4][0-9])|(?:1[0-9]{2})|(?:[1-9]?[0-9]))(?:.(?:(?:25[0-5])|(?:2[0-4][0-9])|(?:1[0-9]{2})|(?:[1-9]?[0-9]))){3}))]))$/iD", strtolower($mail_address))) {
    echo "valid email";
}

But when I use it I get error says,

"Warning: preg_match(): No ending delimiter '/' found"

What is wrong with this code?

Answer

Use this instead of a regular expression:

if(filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
     //Valid email!
}

Using regular expressions to validate email addresses is not recommended as it is certainly not pretty, especially if you don’t want to exclude somebody who has a valid email address that is correct according to RFC 822 grammar.

http://www.php.net/filter_var is your best bet.

A crazy example of a regex that attempts to validate email addresses according to RFC 822 grammar:

(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:(?:(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t]
)+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|"(?:[^"r\]|\.|(?:(?:rn)?[ t]))*"(?:(?:
rn)?[ t])*)(?:.(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(
?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|"(?:[^"r\]|\.|(?:(?:rn)?[ 
t]))*"(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*))*@(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-
31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*
](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)(?:.(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+
(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](?:
(?:rn)?[ t])*))*|(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z
|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|"(?:[^"r\]|\.|(?:(?:rn)?[ t]))*"(?:(?:rn)
?[ t])*)*<(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:@(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:
rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[
 t])*)(?:.(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)
?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t]
)*))*(?:,@(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[
 t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*
)(?:.(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t]
)+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*))*)
*:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)?(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+
|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|"(?:[^"r\]|\.|(?:(?:rn)?[ t]))*"(?:(?:r
n)?[ t])*)(?:.(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:
rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|"(?:[^"r\]|\.|(?:(?:rn)?[ t
]))*"(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*))*@(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31
]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](
?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)(?:.(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?
:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](?:(?
:rn)?[ t])*))*>(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)|(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?
:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|"(?:[^"r\]|\.|(?:(?:rn)?
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(?:[^"r\]|\.|(?:(?:rn)?[ t]))*"(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*))*@(?:(?:rn)?[ t]
)*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\
".[]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)(?:.(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?
:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[
]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*))*|(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-
31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|"(?:[^"r\]|\.|(
?:(?:rn)?[ t]))*"(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)*<(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:@(?:[^()<>@,;
:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([
^[]r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)(?:.(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\"
.[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[
]r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*))*(?:,@(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".
[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[]
r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)(?:.(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 
00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[]r\]
|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*))*)*:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)?(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 
00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|"(?:[^"r\]|\
.|(?:(?:rn)?[ t]))*"(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)(?:.(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,
;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|"(?
:[^"r\]|\.|(?:(?:rn)?[ t]))*"(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*))*@(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*
(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".
[]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)(?:.(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[
^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]
]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*))*>(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)(?:,s*(
?:(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\
".[]]))|"(?:[^"r\]|\.|(?:(?:rn)?[ t]))*"(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)(?:.(?:(
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:.(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|
Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*))*|(?:
[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[
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(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".
[]]))|"(?:[^"r\]|\.|(?:(?:rn)?[ t]))*"(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)(?:.(?:(?:
rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z|(?=[[
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+|Z|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*)(?:
.(?:(?:rn)?[ t])*(?:[^()<>@,;:\".[] 00-31]+(?:(?:(?:rn)?[ t])+|Z
|(?=[["()<>@,;:\".[]]))|[([^[]r\]|\.)*](?:(?:rn)?[ t])*))*>(?:(
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