Loops
PHPLoops allow you to execute a block of code repeatedly. PHP has four types of loops — each suited for different situations.
for loop
Best when you know exactly how many times to loop:
PHP
<?php
for ($i = 0; $i < 5; $i++) {
echo $i . " ";
}
// Output: 0 1 2 3 4
// Count down
for ($i = 10; $i >= 1; $i--) {
echo $i . " ";
}
// Output: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
?>while loop
Runs while a condition is true — use when you don't know how many iterations:
PHP
<?php
$count = 1;
while ($count <= 5) {
echo $count . " ";
$count++;
}
// Output: 1 2 3 4 5
?>do-while loop
Runs at least once, then checks condition:
PHP
<?php
$x = 10;
do {
echo $x . " ";
$x++;
} while ($x < 5);
// Output: 10 — runs once even though condition is false
?>foreach loop
Best for iterating over arrays — the most commonly used loop in PHP/Laravel:
PHP
<?php
$fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"];
foreach ($fruits as $fruit) {
echo $fruit . "\n";
}
// Output: apple banana cherry
// With key => value
$user = ["name" => "John", "age" => 25, "city" => "Tokyo"];
foreach ($user as $key => $value) {
echo "$key: $value\n";
}
// Output: name: John, age: 25, city: Tokyo
?>break and continue
PHP
<?php
// break — exit the loop completely
for ($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++) {
if ($i === 5) break;
echo $i . " ";
}
// Output: 0 1 2 3 4
// continue — skip current iteration
for ($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++) {
if ($i % 2 === 0) continue; // skip even numbers
echo $i . " ";
}
// Output: 1 3 5 7 9
?>💡
foreach is king in Laravel! You'll use foreach constantly in Laravel Blade templates to display lists of data from your database:
@foreach($users as $user)Test your knowledge!
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