I’m developing a Telegram bot for ratings. Users can choose from 1 to 5 stars on a custom keyboard. Each option shows the star emoji (UTF-8 encoded).\n\nWhen a user picks a rating, the bot gets a message. I’m not sure how to handle this in PHP. Will I receive the raw UTF-8 code (‘\xE2\xAD\x90’) or something different?\n\nHere’s a basic example of what I’ve tried:\n\nphp\nfunction handleRating($message) {\n $rating = $message->getText();\n if (strpos($rating, '⭐') !== false) {\n $stars = substr_count($rating, '⭐');\n echo "User rated: $stars stars";\n } else {\n echo "Invalid rating";\n }\n}\n\n\nBut I’m not sure if this is the right approach. Any tips on correctly parsing emoji responses in PHP for a Telegram bot would be super helpful!
I’ve encountered similar challenges when working with emoji in PHP, particularly for Telegram bots. Your current approach is on the right track, but there are a few optimizations you could consider.
First, as you’re dealing with Unicode characters, it’s advisable to use the multibyte string functions in PHP. Replace substr_count with mb_substr_count for more reliable emoji detection.
Additionally, you might want to consider normalizing the input to account for potential emoji variations. The Emoji Modifier Fitzpatrick type emoji can cause unexpected behavior.
Lastly, for better performance, especially if you’re handling a high volume of ratings, you could use a regular expression to match the star emoji and extract the count in one go. This approach would be more efficient than multiple string operations.
As someone who’s been tinkering with Telegram bots for a while, I can confirm that PHP typically receives the actual emoji character. Your approach is solid, but there’s room for improvement.
I’d suggest using preg_match_all() instead of substr_count(). It’s more flexible and can handle various emoji representations. Here’s a snippet I’ve used successfully:
function handleRating($message) {
$rating = $message->getText();
if (preg_match_all('/\x{2B50}/u', $rating, $matches)) {
$stars = count($matches[0]);
echo "User rated: $stars stars";
} else {
echo "Invalid rating";
}
}
This method is more robust and can easily be adapted for different emoji if needed. Also, don’t forget to set the correct character encoding in your PHP script to ensure proper emoji handling.
hey SwiftCoder15, i’ve worked with telegram bots before. in my experience, PHP usually receives the actual emoji character, not the raw UTF-8 code. ur approach looks good, but u might wanna consider using mb_substr_count() instead of substr_count() for better unicode handling. also, watch out for emoji variations!