FOR(1) fish-shell FOR(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

for - perform a set of commands multiple times

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

```
for VARNAME in [VALUES ...]; COMMANDS ...; end
```

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

**for** is a loop construct. It will perform the commands specified by *COMMANDS* multiple times. On each iteration, the local variable specified by *VARNAME* is assigned a new value from *VALUES*. If *VALUES* is empty, *COMMANDS* will not be executed at all. The *VARNAME* is visible when the loop terminates and will contain the last value assigned to it. If *VARNAME* does not already exist it will be set in the local scope. For our purposes if the **for** block is inside a function there must be a local variable with the same name. If the **for** block is not nested inside a function then global and universal variables of the same name will be used if they exist.

Much like set <>, **for** does not modify $status, but the evaluation of its subordinate commands can.

The **-h** or **--help** option displays help about using this command.

# [EXAMPLE](#EXAMPLE)

```
for i in foo bar baz; echo $i; end
# would output:
foo
bar
baz
```

# [NOTES](#NOTES)

The **VARNAME** was local to the for block in releases prior to 3.0.0. This means that if you did something like this:

```
for var in a b c


    if break_from_loop


        break


    end
end
echo $var
```

The last value assigned to **var** when the loop terminated would not be available outside the loop. What **echo $var** would write depended on what it was set to before the loop was run. Likely nothing.

# [Copyright](#Copyright)

fish-shell developers

October 15, 2026 4.9

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Document: for(1) from fish 4.9.3-r3 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/fish-shell/fish-shell