PHP Looping - While Loops
Loops execute a block of code a specified number of times, or while a specified condition is true.
PHP Loops
Often when you write code, you want the same block of code to run over and
over again in a row. Instead of adding several almost equal lines in a script we
can use loops to perform a task like this.
In PHP, we have the following looping statements:
- while - loops through a block of code while a specified condition is true
- do...while - loops through a block of code once, and then repeats the loop
as long as a specified condition is true
- for - loops through a block of code a specified number of times
- foreach - loops through a block of code for each element in an
array
The while Loop
The while loop executes a block of code while a condition is true.
Syntax
while (condition)
{
code to be executed;
} |
Example
The example below defines a loop that starts with i=1. The loop will continue
to run as long as i is less than, or equal to 5. i will increase by 1 each time
the loop runs:
<html>
<body>
<?php
$i=1;
while($i<=5)
{
echo "The number is " . $i . "<br />";
$i++;
}
?>
</body>
</html>
|
Output:
The number is 1
The number is 2
The number is 3
The number is 4
The number is 5 |
The do...while Statement
The do...while statement will always execute the block of code once, it
will then check the condition, and
repeat the loop while the condition is true.
Syntax
do
{
code to be executed;
}
while (condition);
|
Example
The example below defines a loop that starts with i=1. It will then increment
i with 1, and write some output. Then the condition is checked, and the loop
will continue to run as long as i is less than, or equal to 5:
<html>
<body>
<?php
$i=1;
do
{
$i++;
echo "The number is " . $i . "<br />";
}
while ($i<=5);
?>
</body>
</html>
|
Output:
The number is 2
The number is 3
The number is 4
The number is 5
The number is 6 |
The for loop and the foreach loop will be explained in the next chapter.

Need an easy way to get data into XML, or transform XML to another format?
MapForce lets you map XML data to/from any combination of XML, database, flat file, Excel 2007, XBRL, or Web services data.
Then it transforms data instantly or auto-generates royalty-free data integration code for recurrent conversions.
New features in Version 2010!
Download a free, fully functional 30-day trial to experience the following features:
- Easy-to-use, graphical data mapping interface
- Instant data transformation
- XSLT 1.0/2.0 and XQuery code generation
- Java, C#, and C++ code generation
- Advanced data processing functions
- Support for all major relational databases including SQL Server, IBM DB2, Oracle, and more
- Visual Studio & Eclipse integration
Download a fully-functional trial today!
|
|
|
|