str replace (php) - for a simple template engine

replace.php

function replace ($text, array $replace) {
    // @see: http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.strtr.php#106282

    $text = "".$text;

    $keys = array_keys($replace);
    $length = array_combine($keys, array_map('strlen', $keys));
    arsort($length);

    $array[] = $text;
    $count = 1;
    reset($length);
    while ($key = key($length)) {
        if (strpos($text, $key) !== false) {
            for ($i = 0; $i < $count; $i += 2) {
                if (($pos = strpos($array[$i], $key)) === false) {
                    continue;
                }
                array_splice(
                    $array,
                    $i,
                    1,
                    array(
                        substr($array[$i], 0, $pos),
                        $replace[$key],
                        substr($array[$i], $pos + strlen($key))
                    )
                );
                $count += 2;
            }
        }
        next($length);
    }
    return implode("", $array);
    
}



$template = "INSERT INTO table3={{table3}} table2={{table2}} table1={{table1}} table3={{table3}} table={{table}} FOO table={{table}} BAR table table2={{table2}} table3={{table3}}";
//        $r=subtok($template, "{{table}}",0, null);
//$r = tokenize($template, "{{table}}");

$r = replace($template, array(
    "{{table}}" => "TABLE",
    "{{table2}}"=> "{{table1}}",
    "{{table1}}"=> "TABLE1",
    "{{table3}}"=> "{{table3}}",
));

// as you see: protected from nesting templates
var_dump($r);