Use a PowerShell for loop when a counter, index, or chosen step size controls how many times commands run. A standard counter loop looks like this:
for ($i = 1; $i -le 10; $i++) {
Write-Host $i
}It starts $i at 1, checks whether it is at most 10 before each pass, runs the body when that check is true, and increments $i after each pass. Microsoft describes for as a loop that runs a command block while a specified condition evaluates to $true (Microsoft Learn: about_For).
PowerShell for loop syntax and execution order
The general form is:
for (<Init>; <Condition>; <Repeat>) {
<Statement list>
}- Init runs once before the loop begins, commonly assigning the starting value to a counter.
- Condition is tested before every pass through the body. If it is true, the body runs; if it is false, the loop ends.
- Repeat runs after the body on each pass, commonly incrementing or otherwise changing the counter.
- Statement list is the body inside braces; it runs on each pass for which the condition is true.
For the example in the introduction, the body runs with values 1 through 10. After the pass with 10, $i++ changes the counter to 11; the next condition check fails, so the loop exits. Microsoft’s PowerShell language specification describes the loop’s condition-checking behavior in its PowerShell 7.6 language specification.
Loop through numbers with a different step
Change the repeat expression to control how the counter advances. This example prints even numbers from 0 through 20:
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for ($i = 0; $i -le 20; $i += 2) {
Write-Host $i
}The condition still checks whether the counter is at most 20 before each pass. Because the repeat expression adds 2, the loop visits 0, 2, 4, and so on rather than every integer.
Keep the loop bounded
A counter loop normally makes progress toward a condition that eventually becomes false. Check that the repeat expression changes the value used by the condition in the intended direction; otherwise, the loop may continue indefinitely.
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The initializer, condition, and repeat sections are optional, so for (;;) { ... } has no condition that can turn false. Such a loop continues until something in its body ends it or a user stops it, for example with Ctrl+C in the console. Treat this form as intentionally unbounded, not as a normal counter-loop pattern.
When to use for, foreach, or while
| Loop | Best fit | How it controls iteration |
|---|---|---|
for |
A numeric counter, index range, selected subset, or deliberate step pattern | Combines initialization, a condition, and a repeat expression in its header. |
foreach |
Processing every value in a collection | Moves through collection members; Microsoft recommends considering it for the common task of iterating all array values. |
while |
Repeating while a condition remains true when a separate counter-style header is unnecessary | Tests its condition before the body; its syntax is less complicated than for, according to Microsoft’s about_While guide. |
Choose the loop that makes the stopping rule and iteration intent clearest to someone maintaining the script.
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Flexible headers and readability
PowerShell allows multiple operations and logical conditions in a for header, and the initializer, condition, or repeat section can be omitted. The header sections can also be placed on separate lines instead of separated by semicolons:
for ($i = 0
$i -lt 10
$i++) {
$i
}For a simple interactive command, the semicolon form is usually easier to enter. Although the syntax permits more complex headers, keep each section easy to understand; Microsoft notes that operations other than pre- or post-increment may not work with every multiple-operation syntax.
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