Foreach loops #

This page is for designers who print lists. {foreach} is the loop you use most.

Contents #

1. Syntax
2. Keys and items
3. Offset, max and reverse
4. Delimiter
5. Sequence
6. break, continue, skip
7. Habits

Syntax #

From the syntax comment of lib/eztemplate/classes/eztemplateforeachfunction.php:

{foreach <array> as [$keyVar =>] $itemVar
         [sequence <array> as $sequenceVar]
         [offset <offset>]
         [max <max>]
         [reverse]}
    [{delimiter}...{/delimiter}]
    [{break}]
    [{continue}]
    [{skip}]
{/foreach}

Keys and items #

{foreach $children as $child}
    <li>{$child.name|wash}</li>
{/foreach}

{foreach $settings as $name => $value}
    <dt>{$name|wash}</dt><dd>{$value|wash}</dd>
{/foreach}

Offset, max and reverse #

{foreach $articles as $article offset 1 max 3}  {* items 2 to 4 *}
{foreach $steps as $step reverse}               {* last to first *}

When the list comes from a fetch, prefer offset and limit in the fetch: then the database does the work.

Delimiter #

Printed between items, not after the last:

{foreach $tags as $tag}{$tag|wash}{delimiter}, {/delimiter}{/foreach}

Sequence #

Alternating values, for example row classes:

{foreach $rows as $row sequence array( 'odd', 'even' ) as $row_class}
    <tr class="{$row_class}">...</tr>
{/foreach}

(For zebra tables, a CSS :nth-child rule is usually simpler.)

break, continue, skip #

• {break} leaves the loop.
• {continue} goes to the next item.
• {skip} goes to the next item without printing the delimiter.

{foreach $children as $child}
    {if $child.is_hidden}{skip}{/if}
    {node_view_gui content_node=$child view='line'}
{/foreach}

Habits #

• No fetch inside a loop: fetch once before (Fetch performance).
• {undef} loop helper variables after the loop if the template is included elsewhere.
• Print an empty state when the list is empty: {if $list|count}...{else}...{/if}.

Related pages #

• For loops
• While and do loops
• Fetching nodes and lists
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.