How can I loop this PHP code for six times exactly? - php

Question

OK, this is my code:
<?php if (!empty($projectSectorItem1Title)): ?>
<div class="project" style="overflow:hidden;">
<?php if (!empty($projectSectorItem1Image)) { ?>
<img src="<?php echo $projectSectorItem1Image; ?>" width="100%"/>
<div class="project_box_info">
<h3><a><?php echo $projectSectorItem1Title; ?></a></h3>
<p><?php echo $projectSectorItem1Description; ?></p>
</div>
<?php } else { ?>
<div class="project_box_info" style="opacity:1;">
<h3><a><?php echo $projectSectorItem1Title; ?></a></h3>
<p><?php echo $projectSectorItem1Description; ?></p>
</div>
<?php } ?>
</div>
<?php endif; ?>
This code is repeated currently in my .php file six times, as I have up to six items. If the first if statement returns false, naturally nothing appears. This is good. It works. However, I've noticed my page is loading slower now with six of these stacked up on each other.
Is there a way to systematically loop this exact code for each of the numbers? The only thing that would need to change is the numbers.. i.e. above #1, second #2, third #2 etc. Lines containing numbers that need to increase are: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 12. So there are 7 places. I have no idea how to do this!
I have a similar issue in the same .php file, but if I know how to do this one, I should be able to "kill two birds with one stone" as they say. Many thanks for any help.
To clarify what I'm trying to do for one of the commenters: I have six boxes which are associated with meta data for each item inside each box. If the title variable is filled in, we go ahead with the rest of the code. However, if there is no image, there is no "hover" feature; instead, the opacity of the hover box is already filled (hence that opacity:1; in the second bit).
So... check for title > if title exists, go ahead > if image, proceed as normal but if not > proceed as normal without the image and set opacity to 1 for project_box_info
Really I'm just reiterating the code here in English, but that's all I can do really!

Answer 1

You can use a forloop like below
<?php for($i=1;$i<=6;$i++): ?>
<?php if (!empty(${"projectSectorItem{$i}Title"})): ?>
<div class="project" style="overflow:hidden;">
<?php if (!empty(${"projectSectorItem{$i}Image"})) { ?>
<img src="<?php echo ${"projectSectorItem{$i}Image"}; ?>" width="100%"/>
<div class="project_box_info">
<h3><a><?php echo ${"projectSectorItem{$i}Title"}; ?></a></h3>
<p><?php echo ${"projectSectorItem{$i}Description"}; ?></p>
</div>
<?php } else { ?>
<div class="project_box_info" style="opacity:1;">
<h3><a><?php echo ${"projectSectorItem{$i}Title"}; ?></a></h3>
<p><?php echo ${"projectSectorItem{$i}Description"}; ?></p>
</div>
<?php } ?>
</div>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php endfor; ?>
That is your loop.. Feel free to ask any questions.

Answer 2

You would use a for loop;
<?
for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
// your code here
}
This would loop through the above statement 6 times. If you want to change a number, you could substitute in for i - (or i+1);
<?
for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
echo("this is cycle number $i");
}
Would return with;
this is cycle 0
this is cycle 1
this is cycle 2

Answer 3

I believe you're looking for something along these lines.
Having an array of items with set titles, descriptions and image urls should greatly increase the execution speed. Then, as others have suggested, loop over the array with a for or foreach.
Using this method better separates the data from the presentation, which makes the whole thing easier to read and modify.
$items = array(
array(
'title' => 'Item 1',
'description' => 'This is the description for item1',
'image' => 'http://fake.com/images/item1.png'
),
array(
'title' => 'Item 2',
'description' => 'This is the description for item2',
'image' => 'http://fake.com/images/item2.png'
),
array(
'title' => 'Item 3',
'description' => 'This is the description for item3'
),
array(
'title' => 'Item 4',
'description' => 'This is the description for item4',
'image' => 'http://fake.com/images/item4.png'
),
array(
'title' => 'Item 5',
'description' => 'This is the description for item5',
'image' => 'http://fake.com/images/item5.png'
),
array(
'title' => 'Item 6',
'description' => 'This is the description for item6'
)
)
foreach ($items as $item) {
echo '
<div class="project">
', (isset($item['image']) ? '<img src=' . $item['image'] . '" alt="" />' : ''), '
<div class="project_box_info">
<h3><a>', $item['title'], '"</a></h3>
<p>', $item['description'], '"</p>
</div>
</div>';
}
I did omit your inline styles here for the sake of readability. Really they should be in an external stylesheet anyway.