# foreach

Evaluate a group of commands for each value in a list.

    foreach(<loop_var> <items>)
      <commands>
    endforeach()

where `<items>` is a list of items that are separated by semicolon or whitespace. All commands between `foreach` and the matching `endforeach` are recorded without being invoked. Once the `endforeach` is evaluated, the recorded list of commands is invoked once for each item in `<items>`. At the beginning of each iteration the variable `<loop_var>` will be set to the value of the current item.

The scope of `<loop_var>` is restricted to the loop scope. See policy `CMP0124` for details.

The commands `break()` and `continue()` provide means to escape from the normal control flow.

Per legacy, the `endforeach()` command admits an optional `<loop_var>` argument. If used, it must be a verbatim repeat of the argument of the opening `foreach` command.

    foreach(<loop_var> RANGE <stop>)

In this variant, `foreach` iterates over the numbers 0, 1, ... up to (and including) the nonnegative integer `<stop>`.

    foreach(<loop_var> RANGE <start> <stop> [<step>])

In this variant, `foreach` iterates over the numbers from `<start>` up to at most `<stop>` in steps of `<step>`. If `<step>` is not specified, then the step size is 1. The three arguments `<start>` `<stop>` `<step>` must all be nonnegative integers, and `<stop>` must not be smaller than `<start>`; otherwise you enter the danger zone of undocumented behavior that may change in future releases.

    foreach(<loop_var> IN [LISTS [<lists>]] [ITEMS [<items>]])

In this variant, `<lists>` is a whitespace or semicolon separated list of list-valued variables. The `foreach` command iterates over each item in each given list. The `<items>` following the `ITEMS` keyword are processed as in the first variant of the `foreach` command. The forms `LISTS A` and `ITEMS ${A}` are equivalent. If no `<lists>` or `<items>` are given, the body of the loop will never be executed (i.e., it is processed as empty).

The following example shows how the `LISTS` option is processed:

    set(A 0;1)
    set(B 2 3)
    set(C "4 5")
    set(D 6;7 8)
    set(E "")
    foreach(X IN LISTS A B C D E)
        message(STATUS "X=${X}")
    endforeach()

yields:

    -- X=0
    -- X=1
    -- X=2
    -- X=3
    -- X=4 5
    -- X=6
    -- X=7
    -- X=8

    foreach(<loop_var>... IN ZIP_LISTS <lists>)

Added in version 3.17.

In this variant, `<lists>` is a whitespace or semicolon separated list of list-valued variables. The `foreach` command iterates over each list simultaneously setting the iteration variables as follows:

- if a single `loop_var` is given, then it sets a series of `loop_var_N` variables to the current item from the corresponding list;

- if multiple variable names are passed, it sets each variable to the current item from the corresponding list. The number of iteration variables must match the number of list variables.

If no `<lists>` are given, the body of the loop will never be executed (i.e., it is processed as empty).

The following example shows how the `ZIP_LISTS` option is processed:

    list(APPEND English one two three four)
    list(APPEND Bahasa satu dua tiga)

    foreach(num IN ZIP_LISTS English Bahasa)
        message(STATUS "num_0=${num_0}, num_1=${num_1}")
    endforeach()

    foreach(en ba IN ZIP_LISTS English Bahasa)
        message(STATUS "en=${en}, ba=${ba}")
    endforeach()

yields:

    -- num_0=one, num_1=satu
    -- num_0=two, num_1=dua
    -- num_0=three, num_1=tiga
    -- num_0=four, num_1=
    -- en=one, ba=satu
    -- en=two, ba=dua
    -- en=three, ba=tiga
    -- en=four, ba=

## See Also

- `break()`

- `continue()`

- `endforeach()`

- `while()`