What are some best practices for implementing a progress indicator, such as a loading bar, for file import processes in PHP?

When importing large files in PHP, it's important to provide users with a progress indicator, such as a loading bar, to keep them informed about the status of the import process. This can help prevent users from thinking the process has stalled or encountering timeout issues. One way to implement this is by using AJAX to periodically update the progress bar based on the current status of the file import process.

<?php
// Start the file import process
// Set total number of steps or items to process
$totalSteps = 100;

// Loop through each step of the import process
for ($i = 1; $i <= $totalSteps; $i++) {
    // Perform the import operation for each step
    
    // Calculate the progress percentage
    $progress = ($i / $totalSteps) * 100;

    // Output the progress percentage to be read by AJAX
    echo $progress;

    // Flush the output buffer to send the progress to the browser
    ob_flush();
    flush();

    // Simulate a delay for demonstration purposes
    sleep(1);
}

// File import process completed
echo "File import process completed!";
?>