Displaying pagination links, maybe with links to first and last page

Question

I've been researching if this is possible, but I've drawn a blank, I'm wondering if it's possible to optimize these for and if statements together?

<?php
// calculate total number of pages
$total_pages = ceil($total_rows / $records_per_page);

// range of links to show
$range = 2;

// display links to 'range of pages' around 'current page'
$initial_num = $page - $range;
$condition_limit_num = ($page + $range)  + 1;
?>
    <ul class="pagination margin-zero">
<?php if ($page>1) : ?>
        <li>
            <a href='<?php echo $page_url; ?>' title='Go to the first page.'>
                First Page
            </a>
        </li>
<?php endif; ?>

<?php
for ($x = $initial_num; $x<$condition_limit_num; $x++) :
    if (($x > 0) && ($x <= $total_pages)) :
        if ($x == $page) : ?>
        <li class='active'>
            <a href="#"><?php echo $x; ?> <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
        </li>
        <?php else : ?>
        <li>
            <a href='<?php echo $page_url; ?>page=<?php echo $x; ?>'><?php echo $x; ?></a>
        </li>
        <?php
        endif;
    endif;
endfor;
?>

<?php if ($page<$total_pages) : ?>
        <li>
            <a href='<?php echo $page_url; ?>page=<?php echo $total_pages; ?>' title='Last page is <?php echo $total_pages; ?>'>
                Last Page
            </a>
        </li>
<?php endif; ?>

    </ul>

Answer 1

The main loop code lacks the prior validation. So in the business logic part

• verify that $x is positive. if not, make it the least number possible (1 I suppose)
• verify that $x is <= $total_pages. Make them equal otherwise
• prepare the page numbers in the form of array using $pages = range($initial_num, $condition_limit_num);

So you will have a single loop with a single condition

<?php foreach ($pages as $x): ?>
    <?php if ($x == $page) : ?>
        <li class='active'>
            <a href="#"><?= $x ?> <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
        </li>
    <?php else: ?>
        <li>
            <a href="<?= $page_url ?>page=<?= $x ?>"><?= $x ?></a>
        </li>
    <?php endif ?>
<?php endfor ?>