[SOLVED] Unique Random Array.. Please HELP!

[Snooble]

Hello! Thanks in advance.. here's my problem:

 

I want the code to fill the array with 10 unique values from my list. Here's my code now:

$bands = "Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, DFA 1979, Klaxons, Metric, Blur, Small Faces, Smiths, Stripes, Charlatans, MGMT, Strokes";

$bands = explode(", ",$bands);
$amountofbands = count($bands);

$no[] = $bands[rand(0, $amountofbands)];
$no[] = $bands[rand(0, $amountofbands)];
$no[] = $bands[rand(0, $amountofbands)];
$no[] = $bands[rand(0, $amountofbands)];
$no[] = $bands[rand(0, $amountofbands)];
$no[] = $bands[rand(0, $amountofbands)];
$no[] = $bands[rand(0, $amountofbands)];
$no[] = $bands[rand(0, $amountofbands)];
$no[] = $bands[rand(0, $amountofbands)];
$no[] = $bands[rand(0, $amountofbands)];

array_unique($no);

while(count($no) != 10){
$no[] = $bands[rand(0, $amountofbands)];
$no = array_unique($no);
}
print_r($no);

 

This gives me results that sometimes are blank, and there are also duplicates.

 

How can i fix it!??!?!  :facewall:

 

Thank you!

 

Snooble

[wildteen88]

This

$no = array_unique($no);

 

Should be just

array_unique($no);

 

However aren't you better of with just using shuffle as all you're doing is randomising the order of the array.

[Snooble]

My aim:

 

There are 20 items in a list.

 

I want it to pick a random 10 of those 20. None can be the same.

 

What do you think is the easiest way?

 

Thanks!

 

[wildteen88]

You can use array_rand. There are many functions for array's check out the many on array's

 

 

[PFMaBiSmAd]

Your blank entries are because count($bands) is one more than the highest array index so randomly you will get a NULL value for a nonexistent array entry.

 

array_unique($no); does nothing because it returns an array that you must do something with.

 

No comment on your while() loop.

 

After you explode() the string, just use shuffle() on the array and then use the first 10 entries.

 

 

[Snooble]

Thanks PFMaBiSmAd

 

Definitely best idea is to shuffle and just use the first ten.

 

Thanks