each

(PHP 4, PHP 5, PHP 7)

each — Return the current key and value pair from an array and advance the array cursor

Description

array each ( array &$array )

Return the current key and value pair from an array and advance the array cursor.

After each() has executed, the array cursor will be left on the next element of the array, or past the last element if it hits the end of the array. You have to use reset() if you want to traverse the array again using each.

Parameters

array: The input array.

Return Values

Returns the current key and value pair from the array array. This pair is returned in a four-element array, with the keys 0, 1, key, and value. Elements 0 and key contain the key name of the array element, and 1 and value contain the data.

If the internal pointer for the array points past the end of the array contents, each() returns FALSE.

Examples

Example #1 each() examples


<?php
$foo = array("bob", "fred", "jussi", "jouni", "egon", "marliese");
$bar = each($foo);
print_r($bar);
?>

$bar now contains the following key/value pairs:

Array
(
    [1] => bob
    [value] => bob
    [0] => 0
    [key] => 0
)


<?php
$foo = array("Robert" => "Bob", "Seppo" => "Sepi");
$bar = each($foo);
print_r($bar);
?>

$bar now contains the following key/value pairs:

Array
(
    [1] => Bob
    [value] => Bob
    [0] => Robert
    [key] => Robert
)

each() is typically used in conjunction with list() to traverse an array, here's an example:

Example #2 Traversing an array with each()


<?php
$fruit = array('a' => 'apple', 'b' => 'banana', 'c' => 'cranberry');

reset($fruit);
while (list($key, $val) = each($fruit)) {
    echo "$key => $val\n";
}
?>

The above example will output:

a => apple
b => banana
c => cranberry

Caution

Because assigning an array to another variable resets the original array's pointer, our example above would cause an endless loop had we assigned $fruit to another variable inside the loop.

Warning

each() will also accept objects, but may return unexpected results. It's therefore not recommended to iterate though object properties with each().

User Contributed Notes

wolfeym38 at yahoo dot com

8 years ago


Regarding speed of foreach vs while(list) =each
I wrote a benchmark script and the results are that clearly foreach is faster. MUCH faster. Even with huge arrays (especially with huge arrays). I tested with sizes 100,000. 1,000,000 and 10,000,000. To do the test with 10 million i had to set my memory limit real high, it was close to 1gb by the time it actually worked. Anyways, 

<?php
function getDiff($start, $end) {
    $s = explode(' ', $start);
    $stot = $s[1] + $s[0];
    $e = explode(' ', $end);
    $etot = $e[1] + $e[0];
    return $etot - $stot;
}

$lim=10000000;
$arr = array();
for ($i=0; $i<$lim; $i++) {
    $arr[$i] = $i/2;
}

$start = microtime();
foreach ($arr as $key=>$val);

$end = microtime();
echo "time for foreach = " . getDiff($start, $end) . ".\n";

reset($arr);
$start = microtime();
while (list($key, $val) = each($arr));
$end = microtime();
echo "time list each = " . getDiff($start, $end) . ".\n";
?>

here are some of my results: with 1,000,000
time for foreach = 0.0244591236115.
time list each = 0.158002853394.
desktop:/media/sda5/mpwolfe/tests$ php test.php
time for foreach = 0.0245339870453.
time list each = 0.154260158539.
desktop:/media/sda5/mpwolfe/tests$ php test.php
time for foreach = 0.0269000530243.
time list each = 0.157305955887.

then with 10,000,000:
desktop:/media/sda5/mpwolfe/tests$ php test.php
time for foreach = 1.96586894989.
time list each = 14.1371650696.
desktop:/media/sda5/mpwolfe/tests$ php test.php
time for foreach = 2.02504014969.
time list each = 13.7696218491.
desktop:/media/sda5/mpwolfe/tests$ php test.php
time for foreach = 2.0246758461.
time list each = 13.8425710201.

by the way, these results are with php 5.2 i believe, and a linux machine with 3gb of ram and 2.8ghz dual core pentium

james at gogo dot co dot nz

11 years ago


It's worth noting that references to an array don't have thier own array pointer, and taking a reference to an array doesn't reset it's array pointer, so this works as you would expect it would by eaching the first three items of the array, rather than the first item 3 times.

<?php
  $x = array(1,2,3);

  print_r(each($x));
  echo "\n";
  
  $y =& $x;
  print_r(each($y));
  echo "\n";
  
  $z =& $y;
  print_r(each($z));
  echo "\n";
?>

Gillis at dancrea dot com

13 years ago


I wrote a short and pretty simple script to search through associative arrays for some value in the values, heres a simplifyed example of it:

<?php

$foo['bob'] = "bob is ugly";
$foo['bill'] = "bill is rich";
$foo['barbie'] = "barbie is cute";
$search = "rich";

echo "searching the array foo for $search:<br>";
reset ($foo);
while (list ($key, $val) = each ($foo)) {
if (preg_match ("/$search/i", $val)) {
    print "A match was found in $key.<br />";
} else {
    print "A match was not found in $key.<br />";
}
}

?>

will output:
Searching the array foo for rich:
A match was not found in bob
A match was found in bill
A match was not found in barbie

Anonymous

14 years ago


I usually work a lot with 2D arrays. Since I've had some trouble traversing them correctly maybe someone out there also experienced those problems and can use this one.

It's based on a 2D-array called $array[$x][$y]. At some (but not necessarily all) (x,y) there is a value I want to reach. Note that I do not know beforehand the ranges of $x or $y (that is their highest and lowest values).

while (list ($x, $tmp) = each ($array)) {
   while (list ($y, $val) = each ($tmp)) {
      echo "$x, $y, $val";
   }
}

The answer for each (x,y) pair can thus be (providng, of course those values where in your array beforehand):

1, 1, 2
2, 2, 0
3, 1, 1
5, 2, 2
5, 1, 2

Note that only the (x,y) pairs with a corresponding value is shown.

Hang in there
Jon Egil Strand
NTNU

sjoerd-php at linuxonly dot nl

10 years ago


Use foreach instead of while, list and each. Foreach is:
- easier to read
- faster
- not influenced by the array pointer, so it does not need reset().

It works like this:
<?php
$arr = array('foo', 'bar');
foreach ($arr as $value) {
    echo "The value is $value.";
}

$arr = array('key' => 'value', 'foo' => 'bar');
foreach ($arr as $key => $value) {
    echo "Key: $key, value: $value";
}
?>

matthew at mhalls dot net

10 years ago


To panania at 3ringwebs dot com:

If you know for certain that you are only receiving one row, the while becomes redundant. To shorten your code:

$strSQL = "SELECT * FROM table WHERE id=1";
$RecordsetSelect = $db->runQuery ($strSQL);
list($key, $val) = mysql_fetch_row($RecordsetSelect);
echo "$key => $val\n";
mysql_free_result($RecordsetSelect);

With only one row being returned this is more elegant a solution, but just being nit-picky in essence. It also shows another quick way of using list.

amby2 at izh dot com

10 years ago


I've found a compact way to cycle through an associative array using for statement (not while, as it has been done in the most of examples below):

<?php

for (reset($array); list($key) = each($array);) {
  echo $key;
  echo $array[$key];
}

?>

or

<?php

for (reset($array); list($key, $value) = each($array);) {
  echo $key;
  echo $value;
  echo $array[$key];
}

?>

You hardly forget to add reset($array) code line using such construction.

wodzuY2k at anronet dot pl

13 years ago


This function will help you dump any variable into XML structure.

        //dump var into simple XML structure
        function var_dump_xml($tagname,$variable,$level=0)
         {
            for($i=0;$i<$level;$i++) $marg.=' ';
            if (eregi('^[0-9].*$',$tagname)) $tagname='tag_'.$tagname; //XML tag cannot start with [0-9] character
            if (is_array($variable))
             {
                echo $marg."<$tagname>\n";
                while (list ($key, $val) = each ($variable))  var_dump_xml($key,$val,$level+1);
                echo $marg."</$tagname>\n";
             }
            elseif (strlen($variable)>0)
             {
                 echo $marg."<$tagname>".htmlspecialchars($variable)."</$tagname>\n";
             };     
         };
         
        /*
        example:
        
        $myVar = array("name"=>"Joe", "age"=>"26", "children"=>array("Ann","Michael"));
        var_dump_xml("myVarTag",$myVar);
        */

Sopinon

10 years ago


If you want to display the hole structure (tree) of your array, then you can use this recursive solution.

<?PHP
$tree= "";
array_tree($your_array);
echo $tree;

// Recursive Function
function array_tree($array, $index=0){
    global $tree;
    $space="";
    for ($i=0;$i<$index;$i++){
        $space .= "     ";
    }
    if(gettype($array)=="array"){
        $index++;
        while (list ($x, $tmp) = each ($array)){
            $tree .= $space."$x => $tmp\n";
            array_tree($tmp, $index);
        }
    }
}
?>

michael k (name der redaktion bekannt.)

8 years ago


If you want to iterate over a two-dimensional, sparse array, and want to  first display every first element, then every second and so on, you can use this code:

 $fruits = array ( "fruits"  => array ( "a" => "orange",
                                      "b" => "banana",
                                      "c" => "apple"
                                    ),
                 "numbers" => array ( 1,
                                      2,
                                      3,
                                      4,
                                      5,
                                      6
                                    ),
                 "holes"   => array (      "first",
                                      5 => "second",
                                           "third",
                                     10 => "fourth",
                                    )
               );

$done = False;
while ($done == False) {        
       $done = True;

       // Important: &$val has to be a reference (use the &), 
       // if you don't, the internal counter of $val will be 
       // re-initialized each time and you loop over the first elements
       // for eternity.

       foreach($fruits as $key => &$val) {

               if (list($inner_key, $inner_val) = each(&$val)) {
                       $done = False;
                       echo "$key : : $inner_key => $inner_val  <br>  \n";
               }

       }
}

NOTE: this is just a quick hack, if you know a better way, post it!

kris at angelanthony dot com

15 years ago


Remember to use "reset()" if you iterate over an array with "each()" more than once!  Example:



while(list($key,$value) = each($array)){

 // code here

}



NOW the internal pointer on $array is at the end of the array, and another attempt at an iteration like the one above will result in zero executions of the code within the "while" block.  You MUST call "reset($array)" to reset the internal array pointer before iterating over the array again from the first element.

php at omit dot ianco dot co dot uk

8 years ago


I wanted to be able to add to an array while looping through it. foreach does not allow this because it is using a secret copy of the array. each makes this possible (tested on PHP 4).
<?php
$shopping_list = array('oysters', 'caviare');
reset ($shopping_list);
while (list($key, $value) = each ($shopping_list)) {
    if ($value == 'oysters') $shopping_list[] = 'champagne';
    elseif ($value == 'champagne') $shopping_list[] = 'ice';
}
print_r($shopping_list);
// Array ( [0] => oysters [1] => caviare [2] => champagne [3] => ice ) 
?>

massimo dot modica at tin dot it

6 years ago


If you forget to reset the array before each(), the same code may give different results with different php versions. 

<?php

$a = array(1,2,3);

foreach ($a AS $k => $v) $a[$k] = 2*$v;

while(list($k2, $v2) = each($a)) { echo($v2."\n"); }

?>

In PHP 5.2.0:

2
4
6

In PHP 5.2.6:

4
6

ayyappan dot ashok at gmail dot com

13 days ago


/* Iterating using objects via each */

class SAI 
{ 
   public function __toString()
   {      
          return __CLASS__;
   }
}
$a = new SAI();
$b = new SAI();
$c = new SAI();
$d = new SAI();
$e = new SAI();

$objarray = array($a,$b,$c,$d,$e);
reset($objarray);
while (list($key, $val) = each($objarray))
{
    echo "$key => $val\n";
}
//Results
0 => SAI
1 => SAI
2 => SAI
3 => SAI
4 => SAI

Warning:
each() will also accept objects, but may return unexpected results. It's therefore not recommended to iterate though object properties with each().

nino dot skopac at gmail dot com

10 months ago


<?php
function each_v2($arr) {
    // same as each() but when it hits end of array, it resets it
    static $i = 0;
    
    if (isset($arr[$i])) {
        // exists¸
        return $arr[$i++];
    } else {
        // reset $i to 0 and repeat
        $i = 0;
        return each_v2($arr);
    }
}
?>

gaviel

5 years ago


Ok Here's one for iterating multidimensional array .. using foreach

    <?php 
        $members = array(
                            "member1" => array (
                                                "First Name" => "Robert",
                                                "Last Name" => "Burton",
                                                "Age" => "20"
                                                ),
                            "member2" => array (
                                                "First Name" => "Cheska",
                                                "Last Name" => "Vladesk",
                                                "Age" => "21"
                                                ),
                            "member3" => array (
                                                "First Name" => "Gino",
                                                "Last Name" => "Marley",
                                                "Age" => "19"
                                                ),    
                            "member4" => array (
                                                "First Name" => "Jake",
                                                "Last Name" => "White",
                                                "Age" => "16"
                                                ),
                            );        
        $dataSetCount = count($members);
        echo "<h1>There are $dataSetCount members</h1>";    
        
        $i = 0;
        foreach ($members as $each_members) {
            $i++;
            echo "<h2>Member $i</h2>";
                foreach ($each_members as $position => $details) {
                    echo "<b>$position</b>" . ": " . $details . "<br />";
                }
            }
    ?>

tk at turtle-entertainment dot de

15 years ago


Be sure to use the integrated functions "unset();" or "reset();" - many people forget this and wonder about the created output!

each

Description

Parameters

Return Values

Examples

See Also

User Contributed Notes