Loops in PHP are used to repeatedly execute code blocks when specific conditions are met. The main types include for, while, do-while, and foreach. 1. The for loop is suitable for cases where the number of loops is known. The structure includes initialization, condition and incremental/decreasing expressions; 2. The while loop continues to run when the condition is true, suitable for scenarios where the number of loops is uncertain; 3. The do-while loop is similar to while, but it will execute the code block first and then check the conditions; 4. The foreach loop is specially designed for arrays and can automatically traverse each element, especially suitable for processing associative arrays or lists.

Loops in PHP are used to execute a block of code repeatedly as long as a certain condition is met. They're essential when you want to automate relative tasks, like looping through an array, counting items, or generating HTML elements dynamically.

There are four main types of loops in PHP that you'll commonly use: for , while , do-while , and foreach . Each has its own use case depending on what you're trying to accomplish.

When to Use the for Loop

The for loop is best when you know exactly how many times you want the loop to run. It's structured with three expressions: initialization, condition, and increment/decrement.

Basic structure:

 for (init; condition; increment) {
    // code to execute
}

For example, if you want to print numbers from 1 to 5:

 for ($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i ) {
    echo $i . "<br>";
}

This is handy for looping over numeric indexes, creating repeated HTML elements, or running a fixed number of iterations. You often see it used in things like pagination, countdowns, or looping through indexed arrays manually.

How the while Loop Works

The while loop keeps running as long as the condition remains true. It checks the condition before each iteration.

Basic structure:

 while (condition) {
    // code to execute
}

Example:

 $i = 1;
while ($i <= 5) {
    echo $i . "<br>";
    $i ;
}

This is useful when you don't know exactly how many times the loop should run — maybe based on user input, database results, or some dynamic value. For instance, reading lines from a file until there are none left.

The Difference with do-while

The do-while loop is similar to while , but it checks the condition after running the loop body. That means the code inside the loop will always run at least once.

Basic structure:

 do {
    // code to execute
} while (condition);

Example:

 $i = 1;
do {
    echo $i . "<br>";
    $i ;
} while ($i <= 5);

You might use this when you need to ensure something runs once no matter what — like prompting for user input or making sure a form is shown even if data isn't ready yet.

Iterating with foreach for Arrays

If you're working with arrays, especially associated arrays or lists, foreach is your go-to loop. It automatically iterates over each element without needing to manage an index manually.

Basic structure:

 foreach ($array as $value) {
    // code to execute
}

Or if you need both keys and values:

 foreach ($array as $key => $value) {
    // code to execute
}

Example:

 $fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"];
foreach ($fruits as $fruit) {
    echo "I like $fruit<br>";
}

This loop shines when dealing with arrays from databases, configuration settings, or user-submitted data. It's clean, readable, and avoids off-by-one errors.

So depending on your situation:

• Use for when you know how many times you need to loop
• Go with while when you don't know how many times, just a condition
• Try do-while if you want to make sure the loop runs at least once
• Stick with foreach when looping through arrays

Basically that's it.

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