How can one efficiently handle category changes in a list output without PDO in PHP?

When handling category changes in a list output without PDO in PHP, you can efficiently achieve this by using a loop to iterate through the list and checking for category changes. If a category change is detected, you can output a new category header before displaying the item. This approach ensures that the list is organized by category without the need for PDO.

// Sample list data
$list = [
    ['name' => 'Item 1', 'category' => 'Category A'],
    ['name' => 'Item 2', 'category' => 'Category A'],
    ['name' => 'Item 3', 'category' => 'Category B'],
    ['name' => 'Item 4', 'category' => 'Category B'],
    ['name' => 'Item 5', 'category' => 'Category A'],
];

$currentCategory = null;

// Loop through the list
foreach ($list as $item) {
    // Check for category change
    if ($item['category'] != $currentCategory) {
        echo "<h2>{$item['category']}</h2>";
        $currentCategory = $item['category'];
    }

    // Output item
    echo "<p>{$item['name']}</p>";
}