PHP: Limit foreach() statement?

Question

How can i limit a foreach() statement? Say i only want it to run the first 2 'eaches' or something?

Answer 1

You can either use

break;

or

foreach() if ($tmp++ < 2) {
}

(the second solution is even worse)

Answer 2

There are many ways, one is to use a counter:

$i = 0;
foreach ($arr as $k => $v) {
    /* Do stuff */
    if (++$i == 2) break;
}

Other way would be to slice the first 2 elements, this isn't as efficient though:

foreach (array_slice($arr, 0, 2) as $k => $v) {
    /* Do stuff */
}

You could also do something like this (basically the same as the first foreach, but with for):

for ($i = 0, reset($arr); list($k,$v) = each($arr) && $i < 2; $i++) {
}

Answer 3

Use a for loop

Why would you try to use a foreach loop if you only want the first two elements? You are trying to make something work for something it wasn't originally intended to do.

Better to just stick with a simple for loop rather then trying complicate matters and having to use ugly workarounds.

Answer 4

you should use the break statement

usually it's use this way

$i = 0;
foreach($data as $key => $row){
    if(++$i > 2) break;
}

on the same fashion the continue statement exists if you need to skip some items.