PHP each() Function

last modified March 13, 2025

The PHP each function returns the current key-value pair from an array and advances the array pointer. It's useful for array iteration.

Basic Definition

The each function returns the current element in an array and moves the internal pointer forward. It returns a four-element array.

Syntax: each(array &$array): array|false. Returns false when the pointer reaches the end. The returned array contains 'key', 'value', 0, and 1.

Basic each() Example

This demonstrates the basic usage of each to iterate an array.

basic_each.php

<?php

$fruits = ["apple" => "red", "banana" => "yellow", "grape" => "purple"];

while ($element = each($fruits)) {
    echo "Key: " . $element['key'] . ", Value: " . $element['value'] . "\n";
    echo "0: " . $element[0] . ", 1: " . $element[1] . "\n\n";
}

This code iterates through the array using each. Each call returns the current key-value pair and advances the pointer until the end.

Combining each() with list()

each can be combined with list for cleaner code.

each_with_list.php

<?php

$colors = ["red", "green", "blue"];

reset($colors); // Ensure pointer is at start
while (list($key, $val) = each($colors)) {
    echo "$key => $val\n";
}

Here, list unpacks the key-value pair from each. This pattern was common before PHP 7.2 but is now deprecated.

each() with Associative Arrays

each works particularly well with associative arrays.

associative_each.php

<?php

$user = [
    "name" => "John Doe",
    "email" => "john@example.com",
    "age" => 30
];

while ($pair = each($user)) {
    echo "Field: " . $pair['key'] . ", Value: " . $pair['value'] . "\n";
}

This example shows how each can access both keys and values in an associative array. The function returns both numeric and string indexes.

Reset Pointer Before each()

Always reset the array pointer before using each in a loop.

reset_pointer.php

<?php

$numbers = [10, 20, 30];

// First iteration
while ($element = each($numbers)) {
    echo $element['value'] . " ";
}

echo "\n";

// Reset pointer for second iteration
reset($numbers);
while ($element = each($numbers)) {
    echo $element['value'] . " ";
}

Without reset, the second loop wouldn't execute because the pointer would already be at the end of the array from the first loop.

Deprecation Notice

This example shows the deprecation warning in PHP 7.2+ and alternatives.

deprecation_notice.php

<?php

$data = ["a", "b", "c"];

// Deprecated in PHP 7.2+, removed in PHP 8.0
while (list($key, $val) = each($data)) {
    echo "$key: $val\n";
}

// Modern alternative
foreach ($data as $key => $val) {
    echo "$key: $val\n";
}

The each function is deprecated as of PHP 7.2. The example shows both the old syntax and the recommended foreach alternative.

Best Practices

Avoid in New Code: Use foreach instead of each.
Pointer Management: Always reset pointers before iteration.
Error Handling: Check for false return value properly.
Modern Alternatives: Prefer current/next if needed.

Source

PHP each() Documentation

This tutorial covered the PHP each function with practical examples showing its usage for array iteration scenarios.

Author

My name is Jan Bodnar, and I am a passionate programmer with extensive programming experience. I have been writing programming articles since 2007. To date, I have authored over 1,400 articles and 8 e-books. I possess more than ten years of experience in teaching programming.

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