for Loop
Loop a specific number of times using a counter.
Syntax
for ($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++) {
// code
}The for loop is ideal when you know in advance how many times you want to repeat. It has three parts inside the parentheses, separated by semicolons:
- Initialization — set a counter.
- Condition — test before each pass.
- Increment — update the counter after each pass.
Example
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When to use it
- Render a numbered list of search results by iterating with a for loop from 1 to count($results).
- Pad an array to a fixed length by using a for loop to append default values.
- Generate a fixed number of unique random coupon codes in a for loop.
More examples
Basic for loop
for consists of initialiser, condition, and increment — all three in one line for precise iteration control.
<?php
for ($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++) {
echo "Step $i\n";
}Iterating over an indexed array
A for loop with count() is the standard way to iterate an indexed array when the position number matters.
<?php
$results = ['Alpha', 'Beta', 'Gamma', 'Delta'];
$count = count($results);
for ($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++) {
echo ($i + 1) . ". {$results[$i]}\n";
}Reverse and step iteration
The increment expression can decrement or step by any amount, enabling countdowns and sparse-index traversal.
<?php
// Countdown
for ($i = 10; $i >= 1; $i--) {
echo "$i... ";
}
echo "Go!\n";
// Every second item
$items = range(0, 10);
for ($i = 0; $i < count($items); $i += 2) {
echo $items[$i] . ' ';
}
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