Re: [PHP4BETA] array_rand() feedback

Addressed to: Andrei Zmievski <andrei@ispi.net> php4beta@lists.php.net ** Reply to note from Andrei Zmievski <andrei@ispi.net> Sat, 29 Apr 2000 16:00:14 -0500 > > I wrote a function called array_rand() that is supposed to return a > random element from the input array. After I wrote it, I asked myself: > would it be useful to return the key for that value as well as the > value itself? What do you think? It would sometimes be useful, but not always. Maybe make it another function? > Example (without key): > > $ar = array(1, 2, 3); $val = array_rand($ar); > > Example (with key): $ar = array("one"=>1, "two"=>2, > "three"=>3); > list($key, $val) = array_rand($ar); > > Let me know what you think. I also thought about adding a second > argument that specifies how many random elements to return. If that > gets added then returning keys and values for multiple arguments gets > a little trickier. > $Entries = hash_rand( $var, $count ); while( list( $key, $val ) = each( $Entries )) { echo "The random choices are: $key - $val<BR>\n"; } I would probably want it to make sure that there are no duplicates in the output array. It would be an error if $count was > count( $var ). If each() only evaluates its argument once when called in a while like this, then the $Entries variable is not needed. Rick Widmer http://www.developersdesk.com