how to change php variable name in a loop?

Question

Lets say I have a variable called $file and the for loop: for($i=1; $i <= 5; $i++) {}

For each iteration of the for loop, the $i value w

Answer 1

There is a way to do this:

for($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++) {
    ${'file'.$i} = ...;
}

But it is a bad idea to do this. Why is it a bad idea? Because this is what arrays are meant for. Do this instead:

for($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++) {
    $file[$i] = ...;
}

(NB. It is the usual convention to start array keys at 0 rather than 1, but you do not have to do so.)