PHP Loops: for, while, do-while, foreach

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PHP Loops: for, while, do-while, foreach
Loops in PHP are used to execute a block of code multiple times. The main types of loops in PHP are:

for loop – Used when the number of iterations is known.

while loop – Runs as long as a condition is true.

do-while loop – Runs at least once, then continues based on a condition.

foreach loop – Used to iterate through arrays.

1. for Loop
The for loop is used when we know how many times we want to iterate.

✅ Syntax:

for (initialization; condition; increment/decrement) {

    // Code to execute

}

✅ Example: Counting from 1 to 5

<?php

for ($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++) {

    echo "Number: $i 
";

}

?>

📌 Output:


Number: 1
Number: 2
Number: 3
Number: 4
Number: 5

2. while Loop
The while loop runs as long as the condition is true.

✅ Syntax:

while (condition) {

    // Code to execute

}

✅ Example: Counting from 1 to 5

<?php

$i = 1;

while ($i <= 5) {

    echo "Number: $i 
";

    $i++;

}

?>

📌 This loop executes while $i is less than or equal to 5.

3. do-while Loop
The do-while loop is similar to while, but it executes at least once, even if the condition is false.

✅ Syntax:

do {

    // Code to execute

} while (condition);

✅ Example:

<?php

$i = 1;

do {

    echo "Number: $i 
";

    $i++;

} while ($i <= 5);

?>

📌 The block executes once, then checks the condition.

✅ Example: Condition Fails Initially

<?php

$i = 10;

do {

    echo "This will print at least once! 
";

} while ($i < 5);

?>

📌 Even though $i is already greater than 5, the loop runs once.

4. foreach Loop
The foreach loop is specifically used for iterating over arrays.

✅ Syntax (Indexed Array):

foreach ($array as $value) {

    // Code to execute

}

✅ Example:

<?php

$fruits = ["Apple", "Banana", "Cherry"];



foreach ($fruits as $fruit) {

    echo "$fruit 
";

}

?>

📌 Output:


Apple
Banana
Cherry

✅ Syntax (Associative Array):

foreach ($array as $key => $value) {

    // Code to execute

}

✅ Example:

<?php

$person = ["Name" => "John", "Age" => 25, "City" => "New York"];



foreach ($person as $key => $value) {

    echo "$key: $value 
";

}

?>

📌 Output:


Name: John
Age: 25
City: New York
Loop Control Statements
break → Stops the loop immediately.

continue → Skips the current iteration and moves to the next one.

✅ Example (break):

<?php

for ($i = 1; $i <= 10; $i++) {

    if ($i == 6) {

        break; // Stops when $i is 6

    }

    echo "$i 
";

}

?>

📌 Output:


1
2
3
4
5

✅ Example (continue):

<?php

for ($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++) {

    if ($i == 3) {

        continue; // Skips 3

    }

    echo "$i 
";

}

?>

📌 Output:


1
2
4
5

Conclusion
Use for when the number of iterations is known.

Use while when looping until a condition is met.

Use do-while when the loop must execute at least once.

Use foreach for arrays.

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    Date: 2025-03-28 00:00:00.000000