[SOLVED] Echo array elements randomly, and each only once?

[dogfighter]

I'm able to take a string, split it up with preg_split, and then create an array using the output. However, now I want to echo them all together in random order, and each only once.

 

So if my array looks like this...

 

$color[0] = "red";
$color[1] = "green";
$color[2] = "blue";
$color[3] = "black";
$color[4] = "white";

 

I'd like my script to then echo them all together at random, using each only once... so I could get "redblackwhitegreenblue" or "blackgreenbluewhitered", but never "redgreenredblackblack".

 

So far I can echo a random element from the array by counting the elements and then using using array_rand. And that's where I fall apart.

 

Any help?  ???

[HeaDmiLe]

maybe the shuffle (http://hr.php.net/manual/en/function.shuffle.php) function?

[dogfighter]

Tried, but my preg_split uses PREG_SPLIT_OFFSET_CAPTURE which causes it to just echo "Array" over and over again. If I change it to PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY it works fine, but then I lose the character(s) that I'm splitting by.

[jonsjava]

put your preg in before my comment in my code

<?php
//he was talking about using shuffle after you create the array w/ your preg_split_offset_capture
$color[0] = "red";
$color[1] = "green";
$color[2] = "blue";
$color[3] = "black";
$color[4] = "white";
shuffle($color);
$color1 = "";
foreach ($color as $value){
$color1 .= $value;
}
print $color1;

[kenrbnsn]

You can also use implode() and skip the foreach()

<?php
<?php
//he was talking about using shuffle after you create the array w/ your preg_split_offset_capture
$color[0] = "red";
$color[1] = "green";
$color[2] = "blue";
$color[3] = "black";
$color[4] = "white";
shuffle($color);
echo implode('',$color);
?>

 

Ken

[jonsjava]

You can also use implode() and skip the foreach()

<?php
<?php
//he was talking about using shuffle after you create the array w/ your preg_split_offset_capture
$color[0] = "red";
$color[1] = "green";
$color[2] = "blue";
$color[3] = "black";
$color[4] = "white";
shuffle($color);
echo implode('',$color);
?>

 

Ken

You're no fun 

[dogfighter]

put your preg in before my comment in my code

<?php
//he was talking about using shuffle after you create the array w/ your preg_split_offset_capture
$color[0] = "red";
$color[1] = "green";
$color[2] = "blue";
$color[3] = "black";
$color[4] = "white";
shuffle($color);
$color1 = "";
foreach ($color as $value){
$color1 .= $value;
}
print $color1;

 

Again, ArrayArrayArrayArray

 

here's my full code:

 

<?php

$paragraph = "This is sentence one. And this is sentence two. Finally, sentence number three.";

$sentsplit = preg_split("/[.!?]/", $paragraph, -1 , PREG_SPLIT_OFFSET_CAPTURE);
shuffle($sentsplit);
$sentsplit1 = "";
foreach ($sentsplit as $value){
$sentsplit1 .= $value;
}
print $sentsplit1;
?>

[kenrbnsn]

With the option "PREG_SPLIT_OFFSET_CAPTURE" the preg_split returns a two-dimensional array. Leave that off and this code works:

<?php
$paragraph = "This is sentence one. And this is sentence two. Finally, sentence number three.";

$sentsplit = array_map('trim',preg_split("/[.!?]/", $paragraph, -1));
shuffle($sentsplit);
echo implode('',$sentsplit);
?>

 

Ken

[dogfighter]

With the option "PREG_SPLIT_OFFSET_CAPTURE" the preg_split returns a two-dimensional array. Leave that off and this code works:

<?php
$paragraph = "This is sentence one. And this is sentence two. Finally, sentence number three.";

$sentsplit = array_map('trim',preg_split("/[.!?]/", $paragraph, -1));
shuffle($sentsplit);
echo implode('',$sentsplit);
?>

 

Ken

 

That does work, thanks Ken. Reason I was using preg_offset_capture was because without it I lose the punctuation that I'm splitting by. So when it spits my sentences back out, I lose the period or question mark or exclamation point that ended the sentences in $paragraph.

[dogfighter]

Anything I can throw in there to preserve the ending punctuation the way preg_offset_capture did?

[kenrbnsn]

You were using the wrong flag and that threw me off. The flag you should be using is PREG_SPLIT_DELIM_CAPTURE.

 

This should give you what I think you want:

<?php
$paragraph = "This is sentence one. And this is sentence two! Finally, sentence number three?";
$sentsplit = preg_split("/([.!?])/i", $paragraph, -1 , PREG_SPLIT_DELIM_CAPTURE|PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY);
$tmp = array();
for ($i=0;$i<count($sentsplit);$i+=2)
$tmp[] = $sentsplit[$i] . $sentsplit[$i+1];
shuffle($tmp);
echo implode('',$tmp);
?>

 

Ken

[Andy-H]

Ken, I think it was you that told me not to use a function in a loop... lol

 

Dont suppose it loops many times tho:p

[kenrbnsn]

You mean using count() in a for loop? No, I wasn't the bearer of that tidbit.

 

Ken

[dogfighter]

You were using the wrong flag and that threw me off. The flag you should be using is PREG_SPLIT_DELIM_CAPTURE.

 

This should give you what I think you want:

<?php
$paragraph = "This is sentence one. And this is sentence two! Finally, sentence number three?";
$sentsplit = preg_split("/([.!?])/i", $paragraph, -1 , PREG_SPLIT_DELIM_CAPTURE|PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY);
$tmp = array();
for ($i=0;$i<count($sentsplit);$i+=2)
$tmp[] = $sentsplit[$i] . $sentsplit[$i+1];
shuffle($tmp);
echo implode('',$tmp);
?>

 

Ken

 

Worked like a charm! Doesn't split at the exclamation points (joins them with the next sentence) but I can probably work that one out. Thanks Ken (and everyone else!) for your help. 

[dogfighter]

Yup, just escaped the exclamation point and it's-a-workin!