While echo - dont write mutiple lines, overwrite one instead - php

Question

im trying to write a loop that displays the counter on one line, been sitting here for over an hour but cant figure it out.
The main loop is
while($counter< 100){
echo $counter;
usleep($timeInSeconds*1000000);
$counter=$counter+1;
}
Now this prints 100 numbers after a delay each on a new line. Is it possible for the echo to instead replace itself for each loop?
I tried many options, here is one that didnt crash:
while($counter < 100){
$counter=$counter+1;
echo $counter;
usleep($timeInSeconds*1000000);
flush();
ob_flush();
}
However, with this option it works in one line with a delay, but it doesnt clear the previous echo, so its just a bunch of number next to each other
Could someone help me out?

Answer 1

You are trying to do something on the server that should be done on the client.
I expect you are making a timer. You should write some JavaScript code instructing the web browser on how to display multiple numbers with a delay in between. Your current code will show a loading wheel and a blank screen for the entire duration on many browsers.
Instead, replace your loop with something like:
var time_in_seconds = 1; // You can replace 1 with the value of the PHP variable
var count_element = document.getElementById("example_counter");
var n = 0;
var interval_id;
function update_counter(){
n += 1;
if (n >= 100) {
clearInterval(interval_id);
}
count_element.textContent = n;
}
interval_id = setInterval(update_counter, time_in_seconds * 1000);
<span id="example_counter"></span>