UNSW ProgComp: Problem 2 - 2006

<?php
$input = <<<END
Alexandria
Berowra Waters
Campsie
Doonside
East Ryde
Fairfield East
Granville
Heathcote
Ingleburn
Jannali
Kirrawee
Lane Cove North
Maianbar
Neutral Bay
Old Toongabbie
Parramatta
Queenscliff
Raby
Sans Souci
Tempe
Ultimo
Vaucluse
Woolloomooloo
Yagoona
Zetland
END;

function remove_vowels($a){
    if(!in_array($a, array('A', 'E', 'I', 'O', 'U', ' '))){
        return $a;
    }
}

$input = explode("\n", $input);

$unwanted = array('A', 'E', 'I', 'O', 'U', ' ');

$max_len = null;

foreach($input as $value){
    if(strlen($value) > $max_len){
        $max_len = strlen($value);
    }
    $subject = explode(" ", $value);
    $outword = null;
    foreach($subject as $value2){
        $word_array = null;
        $string_array = str_split($value2);

        $first_character = $string_array[0];
        if(!in_array($first_character, $unwanted)){
            $first_character = '';
        }
        //$last_two_vowels = str_replace("#([aeiou]{2}|*)#") that isn't going to work
        if(in_array(strtoupper($string_array[count($string_array)-2]), $unwanted) && in_array(strtoupper($string_array[count($string_array)-1]), $unwanted)){
            //this means that both of the characters are a vowel,
            // therefor they must not be removed, or more precisely, they will later be added to the end
            $end_vowels = $string_array[count($string_array)-2].$string_array[count($string_array)-1];
        }else{
            $end_vowels = '';
        }
        foreach($string_array as $char){
            if(!in_array(strtoupper($char), $unwanted)){
                $word_array[] = $char;
            }
        }
        $outword[] = $first_character.implode($word_array).$end_vowels;
    }
    $output[] = implode($outword);
}

foreach($input as $key => $value){
    echo str_pad($value, $max_len+1).$output[$key]."\n";
}