Control statements in PHP define how the program flows, allowing you to make decisions, run code repeatedly, or execute specific blocks based on conditions.
They are essential for writing dynamic, logical, and interactive PHP applications.

PHP provides several types of control statements:

• Conditional statements (if, else, elseif, switch)
• Looping statements (for, while, do…while, foreach)
• Jump statements (break, continue)

Let’s explore each of them with examples.

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Conditional Control Statements

Conditional statements allow your code to take different paths based on conditions.

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1. if Statement

$age = 20;

if ($age >= 18) {
    echo "You are eligible to vote.";
}

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2. if…else Statement

$score = 45;

if ($score >= 50) {
    echo "Pass";
} else {
    echo "Fail";
}

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3. elseif Ladder

$marks = 75;

if ($marks >= 90) {
    echo "Grade A";
} elseif ($marks >= 75) {
    echo "Grade B";
} elseif ($marks >= 50) {
    echo "Grade C";
} else {
    echo "Grade D";
}

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4. switch Statement

Useful when comparing one variable with multiple fixed values.

$day = 3;

switch ($day) {
    case 1: echo "Monday"; break;
    case 2: echo "Tuesday"; break;
    case 3: echo "Wednesday"; break;
    default: echo "Unknown day";
}

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Looping Control Statements

Loops allow you to execute a block of code multiple times.

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1. for Loop

Useful when you know the number of iterations.

for ($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++) {
    echo "Number: $i<br>";
}

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2. while Loop

Runs as long as the condition is true.

$count = 1;

while ($count <= 3) {
    echo $count . "<br>";
    $count++;
}

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3. do…while Loop

Executes at least once, even if the condition is false.

$k = 1;

do {
    echo $k;
    $k++;
} while ($k <= 3);

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4. foreach Loop

Best for iterating through arrays.

$colors = ["Red", "Blue", "Green"];

foreach ($colors as $color) {
    echo $color . "<br>";
}

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Jump Control Statements

These statements control how loops behave.

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1. break

Stops the loop immediately.

for ($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++) {
    if ($i == 3) break;
    echo $i; // Prints 1, 2
}

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2. continue

Skips the current iteration.

for ($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++) {
    if ($i == 3) continue;
    echo $i . "<br>"; // Skips 3
}

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Best Practices

• Use switch instead of multiple elseif when checking many fixed values.
• Avoid infinite loops by ensuring conditions eventually become false.
• Prefer foreach when working with arrays for cleaner code.
• Use break and continue wisely to maintain readable logic.

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External Reference:
🔗 https://www.php.net/manual/en/

View Other Articles About PHP:
🔗 http://savanka.com/category/learn/php/