Loops in php

Jun 20, 2026Trushi Jasani

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Loops are used to execute the same block of code repeatedly as long as a condition is true. php supports while, do...while, for, and foreach loops.

The while Loop

Executes code as long as the condition is true:

<?php
$i = 1;

while ($i <= 5) {
    echo "Count: $i <br>";
    $i++;
}
// Output: Count: 1, Count: 2 ... Count: 5
?>

---

The do...while Loop

Executes the code block once before checking the condition, then repeats while true:

<?php
$i = 1;

do {
    echo "Number: $i <br>";
    $i++;
} while ($i <= 5);
?>

Key difference: The do...while loop always runs at least once, even if the condition is false from the start.

---

The for Loop

Used when you know in advance how many times to loop:

<?php
for ($i = 0; $i < 5; $i++) {
    echo "Item $i <br>";
}
?>

Syntax:

for (initialization; condition; increment) {
    // code
}

---

The foreach Loop

Used to loop through arrays:

<?php
$fruits = ["Apple", "Banana", "Cherry"];

foreach ($fruits as $fruit) {
    echo $fruit . "<br>";
}
// Apple, Banana, Cherry
?>

foreach with key => value

<?php
$person = ["name" => "Alice", "age" => 30, "city" => "Delhi"];

foreach ($person as $key => $value) {
    echo "$key: $value <br>";
}
// name: Alice
// age: 30
// city: Delhi
?>

---

Loop Control Statements

break

Exits the loop immediately:

<?php
for ($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++) {
    if ($i == 5) {
        break; // stop at 5
    }
    echo $i . " ";
}
// 0 1 2 3 4
?>

continue

Skips the current iteration and moves to the next:

<?php
for ($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++) {
    if ($i % 2 == 0) {
        continue; // skip even numbers
    }
    echo $i . " ";
}
// 1 3 5 7 9
?>

---

Nested Loops

<?php
for ($i = 1; $i <= 3; $i++) {
    for ($j = 1; $j <= 3; $j++) {
        echo "$i x $j = " . ($i * $j) . "<br>";
    }
}
?>

---

Loop Comparison

Loop	Best Used When
while	Condition checked before each iteration
do...while	Must run at least once
for	Number of iterations is known
foreach	Iterating over arrays or objects

---

Alternative Syntax

Like control structures, loops support alternative syntax for use with HTML:

<?php $items = ["Home", "About", "Contact"]; ?>
<ul>
<?php foreach ($items as $item): ?>
    <li><?= $item ?></li>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</ul>