php - using preg_match to detect persian (farsi) characters in string

Question

I am trying to validate form data from server-side. my interest is that the user just fill the form by Persian characters.

I am using this code:

$name=trim($_POST['name']);
$name= mysql_real_escape_string($name);
if (preg_match('/^[u0600-u06FF]+$/',str_replace("","",$name))){$err.= "Please use Persian characters!";}

but it is not working!

here is a warning:

Warning: preg_match() [function.preg-match]: Compilation failed: PCRE does not support L, l, N, U, or u at offset 3 in C:xampphtdocssiteform.php on line 38

What can I do?

Answer 1

This 'should' work...

** added a ^ after the opening [ to exclude arabic/farsi characters from the match...

if (preg_match('/^[^x{600}-x{6FF}]+$/u', str_replace("","",$name)))