str_replace puzzle

PHP Code:

---

<?php
$lastUpdate = date( 'j F Y', filemtime( 'pageContent/reviewActivity.txt' ) );
$bigCount = 0;
echo "<br /><br />";

$bigData = file_get_contents ("bigCollection");
echo $bigData;
echo "<br />Kilroy knocked!<br /><br />";

echo str_replace (" ", "", $bigData);
str_replace (" ", "", $bigData);

$lineItem = explode ("*", $bigData);

echo "<br />Kilroy entered!<br /><br />";

foreach ($lineItem as $item) {
    echo "Item = " . $item . "<br />";
}

echo "<br />Kilroy left!";
?>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.marainlaw.com/bottomline.php"><img border="2" src="images/marain-logo.gif" alt="***************" width="130" height="75" class="right" /></a>
<br />
<br />

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$bigData contains several sets of six two-digit numbers separated by spaces. Where that happens, I'm trying to use the str_replace function to convert them to a single twelve-digit number. When I echo the str_replace operation, all works as intended. But then when I attempt to actually do the replacement and explode the string, the original sequence is unchanged.

The page in question is https://www.marainlaw.com/page.php?here=reviewActivity

I have not looked too closely, but I notice that this one line does not do anything:

Code:

---

str_replace (" ", "", $bigData);

---

It should be something like:

Code:

---

$bigData = str_replace (" ", "", $bigData);

---

It would help to know what the results are that you are getting as opposed to what you are expecting as well as what what the contents of $bigData is/are.

James,

You hit the nail on its proverbial head. Thank you!

Given your observation, I can now fix it easily. [URL]https://www.marainlaw.com/page.php?here=reviewActivity] shows the contents of $bigData, what I was expecting, and what I got. Well, when I make the correction you suggest, it will no longer show what I got.