[SOLVED] easy quick questions

[ngreenwood6]

First, I am new to arrays and am trying to figure them out.  Please let me know if this is the correct format or if there is a better way:

 

$array = ("first","second","third","fourth","fifth");

 

Second, I am trying to display one of these values randomly. I am using the following code but it is giving me this error "Warning: rand() expects exactly 2 parameters, 1 given in C:\wamp\www\random.php on line 5":

 

<?php

$array = ("first","second","third","fourth","fifth");

$random = rand($array);

echo $random;

?>

 

 

Any help is appreciated.

[drisate]

use this

http://ca3.php.net/array_rand

[ngreenwood6]

Its not giving me the error now but it is just giving me numbers instead of the actual values. Any help?

[drisate]

If you can, i would recommend using this

 

select * from yourtable order by rand() limit 0,1;

 

A lot faster

[drisate]

By the way, use the numbers it returns in your var like this to get the value

 

echo $array[$num];

[ngreenwood6]

Yeah the only problem with that is that the data is not held in a table for this specific instance. Any clues as to why it is showing the numbers instead of the actual values?

[ngreenwood6]

sorry posted that before I got to read yours. The point of this is to get a random value and if I do the $array['1'] it is always going to give me the first one instead of a random one. I want it to be random.

[adam291086]

whats your current code?

[drisate]

<?php
$input = array("first","second","third","fourth","fifth");
$rand_keys = array_rand($input, 1);
echo $input[$rand_keys[0]];
?>

[ngreenwood6]

dristate the code that you just gave me does not output anything on the page. my current code was at the top of the page.

[DarkWater]

That's not how array_rand works, and no offense, but if you even took a minute to read the manual page, which was posted in this thread already, you'd realize it returns a random array KEY.  So therefore, you'd do something like:

 

<?php
$input = array("first","second","third","fourth","fifth");
$rand_key = array_rand($input);
echo $input[$rand_key];
?>

[ngreenwood6]

Darkwater that worked like a charm. Thanks for all of your help. Sorry I am not good with reading how stuff works better at looking at examples and modifying for my needs.

[drisate]

the code i gave you worked for me

 

<?php
$input = array("first","second","third","fourth","fifth");
$rand_keys = array_rand($input, 5);
echo $input[$rand_keys[0]]."<br>";
echo $input[$rand_keys[1]]."<br>";
echo $input[$rand_keys[2]]."<br>";
echo $input[$rand_keys[3]]."<br>";
echo $input[$rand_keys[4]]."<br>";
?>

 

You just had to change the vars do do what you wanted to do bro

[DarkWater]

the code i gave you worked for me

 

<?php
$input = array("first","second","third","fourth","fifth");
$rand_keys = array_rand($input, 5);
echo $input[$rand_keys[0]]."<br>";
echo $input[$rand_keys[1]]."<br>";
echo $input[$rand_keys[2]]."<br>";
echo $input[$rand_keys[3]]."<br>";
echo $input[$rand_keys[4]]."<br>";
?>

 

You just had to change the vars do do what you wanted to do bro

 

1) It's impossible that it worked for you because you specified a 1 as the second parameter of array_rand, which tells it how many items to get random keys for, and when you put 1 (default anyway), it returns the key by itself and not an array.

 

2) Use <br /> and not <br>.

[drisate]

the code i gave you worked for me

 

<?php
$input = array("first","second","third","fourth","fifth");
$rand_keys = array_rand($input, 5);
echo $input[$rand_keys[0]]."<br>";
echo $input[$rand_keys[1]]."<br>";
echo $input[$rand_keys[2]]."<br>";
echo $input[$rand_keys[3]]."<br>";
echo $input[$rand_keys[4]]."<br>";
?>

 

You just had to change the vars do do what you wanted to do bro

 

1) It's impossible that it worked for you because you specified a 1 as the second parameter of array_rand, which tells it how many items to get random keys for, and when you put 1 (default anyway), it returns the key by itself and not an array.

 

2) Use <br /> and not <br>.

 

Cmon bro, did you try it?

http://www.phpecono.com/array.php

 

Works like a charm. This is an exemple suggested by PHP.net

[DarkWater]

I'm talking about the example you gave him originally.  You did the first one incorrectly.  Go try your original code.