Regex to capture everything before first optional string

Question

I want to capture a pattern upto but not including the first instance of an optional other pattern with preg_match, eg:

ABCDEFGwTW$%                                  


        

Answer 1

Another way to do it:

$str = 'Q$TQ@#%GEFGw35hqb';
$res = preg_split('/EFG/', $str);
print_r($res);