Counting the Total Number of Words in a String - PHP

The functionstr_word_count()offers information regarding the total number of words found in a string. Its prototype follows:

mixed str_word_count(string str [, int format])

If the optional parameterformatis not defined, it will simply return the total number of words. Ifformatis defined, it modifies the function’s behavior based on its value:

1: Returns an array consisting of all words located instr.

2: Returns an associative array, where the key is the numerical position of the word instr, and the value is the word itself.

Consider an example:

<?php
    $summary = <<< summary
    In the latest installment of the ongoing Developer.com PHP series,
    I discuss the many improvements and additions to PHP 5's
    object-oriented architecture.
summary;
   $words = str_word_count($summary);
   printf("Total words in summary: %s", $words);
?>

This returns the following:

--------------------------------------------
Total words in summary: 23
--------------------------------------------

You can use this function in conjunction witharray_count_values()to determine the frequency in which each word appears within the string:

<?php
$summary = <<< summary
In the latest installment of the ongoing Developer.com PHP series,
I discuss the many improvements and additions to PHP 5's
object-oriented architecture.
summary;
   $words = str_word_count($summary,2);
   $frequency = array_count_values($words);
   print_r($frequency);
?>

This returns the following:

--------------------------------------------
Array ( [In] => 1 [the] => 3 [latest] => 1 [installment] => 1 [of] => 1
[ongoing] => 1 [Developer] => 1 [com] => 1 [PHP] => 2 [series] => 1
[I] => 1 [discuss] => 1 [many] => 1 [improvements] => 1 [and] => 1
[additions] => 1 [to] => 1 [s] => 1 [object-oriented] => 1
[architecture] => 1 )
--------------------------------------------