Nice HTML Formatting in PHP for-loop Output

Question

I'm pretty sure I found no answer here or elsewhere or maybe because it's my fault not being able to ask the right question, but anyway, say I have a for-loop in my PHP that goes something like this:

for($i=0; $i<3; $i++){
echo "<a href=\"\">$i</a> | ";
}

How do I make the last call for " | " to not appear in order to have a nicely output:

<a href="">0</a> | <a href="">1</a> | <a href="">2</a>

INSTEAD OF

<a href="">0</a> | <a href="">1</a> | <a href="">2</a> | <-- remove this! :(

You guys are fabulous! Thanks!!!

What if $i < $undefinedNumber ?

hakre · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-09 16:47:09Z

2

Keep the flow, you only need that if it's not the first:

for ($i = 0; $i < 3; $i++) {
    echo $i ? " | " : '', "<a href=\"\">$i</a>";
}

And for the first $i is 0 which means it's false. Otherwise $i is a positive integer, which means true.

Sometimes finding an alternative way to describe the problem helps to formulate a simpler answer. Instead of:

<a href="">0</a> | <a href="">1</a> | <a href="">2</a> |  /* <-- remove this! :( */

It's that problem:

/* :( remove this! --> */ | <a href="">0</a> | <a href="">1</a> | <a href="">2</a>

The same form of solution works for CSS, too:

a:not(:first-child):before {content: ' | '}

sometimes that's easier to integrate than fiddling with PHP and HTML (Example) - however that adds the | to the link-text or style (at least in chrome where I tested it, looks buggy).

edited Jul 9, 2012 at 16:47

answered Jul 9, 2012 at 16:35

hakre

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Comments

Conner · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-09 16:28:52Z

1

for($i=0; $i<3; $i++){
   echo "<a href=\"\">$i</a>"
   if ($i != 2) {
      echo " | ";
   }
}

or

echo "<a href=\"\">0</a>";
for($i=1; $i<3; $i++){
   echo " | <a href=\"\">$i</a>"
}

answered Jul 9, 2012 at 16:28

Conner

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Yan Berk · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-09 16:30:53Z

1

for($i=0; $i<3; $i++) {
    if ($i == 0) {
       echo "<a href=\"\">$i</a>;
    }
    else {
       echo " | <a href=\"\">$i</a>"
    }
}

answered Jul 9, 2012 at 16:30

Yan Berk

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Comments

SuperTron · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-09 16:32:01Z

1

So you just need to remove the last bar from the output? Why not skip it as you loop? Something like this:

for($i=0; $i<3; $i++)
{
    echo "<a href=\"\">$i</a>";

     if($i < 2)
         echo "|";
}

This would ensure that the bar only shows after the first two links, and not after the third.

answered Jul 9, 2012 at 16:32

SuperTron

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Rolando Corratge Nieves · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-09 16:32:09Z

1

$output=array();
for($i=0; $i<3; $i++){
    $output[]="<a href=\"\">$i</a>";
}
$ouput=implode(' | ', $ouput);

answered Jul 9, 2012 at 16:32

Rolando Corratge Nieves

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Brian Glaz · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-09 16:34:13Z

1

You can also do this:

for($i=0; $i<3; $i++) {
    $arr[] = "<a href=\"\">$i</a>";
}
echo implode(' | ',$arr);

answered Jul 9, 2012 at 16:34

Brian Glaz

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John ClearZ · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-09 16:39:29Z

1

This is a commonly found situation in programming known as the Special Case pattern. There is no built in way of solving this other than using an if statement or the ternary operator

for($i=0; $i<3; $i++){
    echo "<a href=\"\">$i</a>" . ($i != 2) ? " | " : "";

answered Jul 9, 2012 at 16:39

John ClearZ

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thenetimp · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-09 16:40:28Z

1

Don't do it in the php, do it in the stylesheet.

First build your HTML

<ul class="navlinks">
     <?php foreach($links as $linkName => $linkUrl): ?>
     <li><a href="<?php echo $linkUrl; ?>"><?php echo $linkName; ?></a></li>
     <?php endforeach; ?>
</ul>

Apply the CSS.

.navlinks > li:after
{ 
    content:"<li>|</li>";
}

.navlinks > li:last-child:after
{ 
    content:"";
}

You should never style your HTML in php, this is the correct wayt to do it.

answered Jul 9, 2012 at 16:40

thenetimp

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UltraInstinct · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-09 16:41:26Z

1

$arr = array();

for ($i=0; i<3; i++)
    $arr[] = "<a href=''>$i</a>";

echo implode(" | ",$arr);

More compact version:

echo implode(" | ", array_map(function($x){return "<a href=''>$x</a>";},range(1,3)));

edited Jul 9, 2012 at 16:41

answered Jul 9, 2012 at 16:32

UltraInstinct

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