[PHP-DB] display formatting with a while loop

[olinux]

hey all,
well, i dont know that a while loop will be my solution, i think that it may. What i 
would like to do is to display 4 variables and then create another column. the toughy 
is that i an using a series of IF'f inside the while.

So something like this:

while ($1 < 4) {
   if ($var1 == 1) { 
       $display .= "<br>variable one is true";
       $i++;
       }
   if ($var2 == 1) { 
       $display .= "<br>variable two is true";
       $i++;
       }
   if ($var3 == 1) { 
       $display .= "<br>variable three is true";
       $i++;
       }
   if ($var4 == 1) { 
       $display .= "<br>variable four is true";
       $i++;
       }
   if ($var5 == 1) { 
       $display .= "<br>variable five is true";
       $i++;
       }
}

So ideally instead of getting this (in the browser):

variable one is true
variable two is true
variable three is true
variable four is true
variable five is true

we would see :

variable one is true    |    variable five is true   
variable two is true    |
variable three is true  |
variable four is true   |

I know that i need to put int a </td><td> between every fourth variable that is 
printed [cuz if they dont equal 1 they do not print anything] 

My problem is, i do not know how to get these inserted.  I have about 15 fields so i 
would like to be able to display them in table cells of 4 or 5 each.

Thank you,

olinux