PHP echo only once to display only one image

Question

I'm trying to figure out how to write a code to display the image only once inside the loop.

For example in Wordpress

<?php if (have_posts()) : while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>

inside that loop I just want to place one image on the first post only.

I only know how to do that in C and C++ but I don't know how is that work on PHP?

Here is what I did to achieve this. Thanks to @Jack.

First I declare a variable before my Wordpress post loop start.

<?php

$displayed = false;

?>

Then I have the code that @Jack suggest with a small modification.

<?php

$image = 'your image URL';

    if (!$displayed)
    {
         echo $image;
         $displayed = true;

    }

    ?>

And that's it now I can have my picture show only once!

Answer 1

Put a conditional inside the loop.

$displayed = false;
while ($someVariable)
{
    if (!$displayed)
    {
         echo $image;
         $displayed = true;
    }
}