How to output only the first instance of a Matrix block type field

Question

I've got a Matrix block in my Latest News/Index template and I can't figure out how to only output the first instance of a block type field. Here is my code, working great except it outputs the first 250 characters from ALL {{block.newsContent}} content block fields not just the first. I know this is what my code is actually set up to do, but I can't figure out how to only output the first one!

{% for block in entry.newsBlock %}
    {% switch block.type %}

        {% case 'nbTitle' %}

            <a href="{{ entry.url }}"> <h2> {{ block.newsTitle }} </h2></a>

            <h3>{{ entry.postDate | date("d-M-Y") }}</h3>


        {% case 'nbContent' %}

            <div class="news-content-index">
                <p>{{ block.newsContent | striptags | slice(0, 250) ~ '...' }}</p>
            </div>

    {% endswitch %}
{% endfor %}

The {{block.newsContent}} part outputs every instance of that field, but I only need the first, as it's the 'excerpt' intro to the complete article.

Here is the front end: https://www.ancamotion.com/latest-news

Any help appreciated, thanks!

Answer 1

You can either use external bool variable

{% set firstNbContentDisplayed = false %}
{% for block in entry.newsBlock %}
    {% switch block.type %}
        {% case 'nbTitle' %}
            ...
        {% case 'nbContent' %}
            {% if not firstNbContentDisplayed %} 
                {% set firstNbContentDisplayed = true %}
                ...
            {% endif %}
    {% endswitch %}
{% endfor %}

or if possible in your case separate nbContent and limit it to 1

{% for block in entry.newsBlock %}
    {% switch block.type %}
        {% case 'nbTitle' %}
            ...
    {% endswitch %}
{% endfor %}

{% for block in entry.newsBlock.type('nbContent').limit(1) %}
    ...
{% endfor %}

Answer 2

I haven't tested this, but I think

{% for block in entry.newsBlock.type('blockType').limit(1) %}
    {{ block.title }}
{% endfor %} 

ought to do it?

If not you could simply do what you're currently doing but also use a

{% if loop.first %}
...
{% endif %}

inside it to only spit out content from the first loop iteration.