CODEWITHSUNDEEP
phparraysrandommultidimensional-arrayshuffle
Nallware
Nallware

Reputation: 159

How to get random element from multidimensional array in php

I have a multidimensional array composed originally from post variables that looks something like this:

$easys = array(
array($easy1min,$easy1max,$easy1enc),
array($easy2min,$easy2max,$easy2enc),
array($easy3min,$easy3max,$easy3enc),
array($easy4min,$easy4max,$easy4enc),
array($easy5min,$easy5max,$easy5enc),
array($easy6min,$easy6max,$easy6enc),
array($easy7min,$easy7max,$easy7enc),
array($easy8min,$easy8max,$easy8enc),
array($easy9min,$easy9max,$easy9enc),
array($easy10min,$easy10max,$easy10enc)
);

I'm attempting to return one randomized result from this.

My function trying shuffle looks like this:

$shuffle($easy_encounters);
$num = rand($easy_encounters[0][0],$easy_encounters[0][1]);
return "(".$num.") ".$easy_encounters[0][2];

gives

"shuffle expect parameter 1 to be array.."

I have also tried iterator_to_array: 

$easy_encounters = iterator_to_array($easy_encounters);

which returns error

"Catchable fatal error: Argument 1 passed to iterator_to_array() must implement interface Traversable..."

then a couple attempts using various syntaxes for array_rand such as:

$easy_encounters = array_rand($easy_encounters);
$num = rand($easy_encounters [0][0],$easy_encounters [0][1]);
return "(".$num.") ".$easy_encounters [0][2];

and

$random_obj = $easy_encounters[array_rand($easy_encounters)];
$num = rand($random_obj[0][0],$random_obj[0][1]);
return "(".$num.") ".$random_obj[0][2];

I feel like I'm hitting all around this. I admit perhaps not fully understanding the useage of iterator_to_array after I got that Traversable error.

Any help is appreciated. I've trudged around SO which is where I've gotten the examples i've used thusfar.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 2114

Answers (2)

mattslone
mattslone

Reputation: 307

$randomArray = array_rand($easy_encounters); 
echo $easy_encounters[$randomArray][array_rand($easy_encounters[$randomArray])];

First get a random array. Then get a random value from the array.

$randomArray is a random array inside of $easy_encounters. So the bottom line reads echo $easy_encounters[$randomArray][$randomElement inside $randomArray].

Upvotes: 2

b14r
b14r

Reputation: 362

First I don't think you can use $shuffle(argument) is it a function not a variable, remove the $, second you used $easys in the first part of code and then $easy_encounters to shuffle it. Use the same variable name in both of them.

Upvotes: 1

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