Aeternitas Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 I'm new to PHP, and scripting languages in general. I'm writing a program for a low-level summer course in web application programming and I've gotten snagged. The code is simply to generate a series of characters to simulate those found on a standard New Jersey auto license plate, in the form "AAA-11A" (three letters, a hyphen, two numbers and a final letter). I assumed that this would be easy enough, but when I start my local Apache server and run the file in Firefox 3.6.6, the output is only correct part of the time. Quite often, I'll notice that some of the characters are missing, and they're invariably letters. I've posted the entire contents of this file below. <?php /* Program: NJ_plate_generator_test.php * Info: Script to dynamically generate random license plate numbers according * to the State of New Jersey format of three letters, a dash, two numbers * and a final letter (ex. AAA-11A). */ $rand_arr = array (); for($i=0; $i<=5; $i++) { if ($i < 3 || $i > 4) { $x = rand(1,26); switch ($x) { case 1: $rand_arr[$i] = 'A'; break; case 2: $rand_arr[$i] = 'B'; break; case 3: $rand_arr[$i] = 'C'; break; case 4: $rand_arr[$i] = 'D'; break; case 5: $rand_arr[$i] = 'E'; break; case 6: $rand_arr[$i] = 'F'; break; case 7: $rand_arr[$i] = 'G'; break; case 8: $rand_arr[$i] = 'H'; break; case 9: $rand_arr[$i] = 'I'; break; case 10: $rand_arr[$i] = 'J'; break; case 11: $rand_arr[$i] = 'K'; break; case 12: $rand_arr[$$i] = 'L'; break; case 13: $rand_arr[$i] = 'M'; break; case 14: $rand_arr[$i] = 'N'; break; case 15: $rand_arr[$i] = 'O'; break; case 16: $rand_arr[$i] = 'P'; break; case 17: $rand_arr[$$i] = 'Q'; break; case 18: $rand_arr[$i] = 'R'; break; case 19: $rand_arr[$i] = 'S'; break; case 20: $rand_arr[$i] = 'T'; break; case 21: $rand_arr[$i] = 'U'; break; case 22: $rand_arr[$i] = 'V'; break; case 23: $rand_arr[$i] = 'W'; break; case 24: $rand_arr[$i] = 'X'; break; case 25: $rand_arr[$i] = 'Y'; break; case 26: $rand_arr[$i] = 'Z'; break; } } else { $x = rand(1,10); switch ($x) { case 1: $rand_arr[$i] = '0'; break; case 2: $rand_arr[$i] = '1'; break; case 3: $rand_arr[$i] = '2'; break; case 4: $rand_arr[$i] = '3'; break; case 5: $rand_arr[$i] = '4'; break; case 6: $rand_arr[$i] = '5'; break; case 7: $rand_arr[$i] = '6'; break; case 8: $rand_arr[$i] = '7'; break; case 9: $rand_arr[$i] = '8'; break; case 10: $rand_arr[$i] = '9'; break; } } } ?> <html> <head> <title>New Jersey License Plate Generator Test</title> </head> <body> The six-character plate number should appear below. <p> <?php for($i=0; $i<=6; $i++) { echo "$rand_arr[$i]"; if ($i == 2) { echo "-"; } } ?> </body> </html> Basically, while I want and sometimes get something in the form AAA-11A, sometimes I get AA-11A, AAA-11A, or even -11 if I'm terribly unlucky. I can't seem to figure out why this happens. My experience tells me that the issue is sitting in plain view, but my experience also hasn't granted me the eyes to see it yet. Also, in addition, if anyone could tell me how I could also store the complete output as a string type, I'd be grateful. I'd assumed it'd involve use of the settype() function, or even initializing a string at the top and concatenating in the switch cases where I currently add to an array (thereby negating the array), but I've been so frazzled about getting the main problem fixed that I haven't touched this issue yet. Any help would be immensely appreciated! Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/208083-problem-with-generating-fixed-length-randomized-output/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
isedeasy Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 <?php /* Program: NJ_plate_generator_test.php * Info: Script to dynamically generate random license plate numbers according * to the State of New Jersey format of three letters, a dash, two numbers * and a final letter (ex. AAA-11A). */ $rand_arr = array (); for($i=0; $i<=5; $i++) { if ($i < 3 || $i > 4) { $x = rand(1,26); switch ($x) { case 1: $rand_arr[$i] = 'A'; break; case 2: $rand_arr[$i] = 'B'; break; case 3: $rand_arr[$i] = 'C'; break; case 4: $rand_arr[$i] = 'D'; break; case 5: $rand_arr[$i] = 'E'; break; case 6: $rand_arr[$i] = 'F'; break; case 7: $rand_arr[$i] = 'G'; break; case 8: $rand_arr[$i] = 'H'; break; case 9: $rand_arr[$i] = 'I'; break; case 10: $rand_arr[$i] = 'J'; break; case 11: $rand_arr[$i] = 'K'; break; case 12: $rand_arr[$i] = 'L'; break; case 13: $rand_arr[$i] = 'M'; break; case 14: $rand_arr[$i] = 'N'; break; case 15: $rand_arr[$i] = 'O'; break; case 16: $rand_arr[$i] = 'P'; break; case 17: $rand_arr[$i] = 'Q'; break; case 18: $rand_arr[$i] = 'R'; break; case 19: $rand_arr[$i] = 'S'; break; case 20: $rand_arr[$i] = 'T'; break; case 21: $rand_arr[$i] = 'U'; break; case 22: $rand_arr[$i] = 'V'; break; case 23: $rand_arr[$i] = 'W'; break; case 24: $rand_arr[$i] = 'X'; break; case 25: $rand_arr[$i] = 'Y'; break; case 26: $rand_arr[$i] = 'Z'; break; } } else { $x = rand(1,10); switch ($x) { case 1: $rand_arr[$i] = '0'; break; case 2: $rand_arr[$i] = '1'; break; case 3: $rand_arr[$i] = '2'; break; case 4: $rand_arr[$i] = '3'; break; case 5: $rand_arr[$i] = '4'; break; case 6: $rand_arr[$i] = '5'; break; case 7: $rand_arr[$i] = '6'; break; case 8: $rand_arr[$i] = '7'; break; case 9: $rand_arr[$i] = '8'; break; case 10: $rand_arr[$i] = '9'; break; } } } ?> <html> <head> <title>New Jersey License Plate Generator Test</title> </head> <body> The six-character plate number should appear below. <p> <?php for($i=0; $i<=5; $i++) { echo "$rand_arr[$i]"; if ($i == 2) { echo "-"; } } ?> </body> </html> You have acouple extra $'s in your first switch, also the loop at the bottom should be $i<=5 Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/208083-problem-with-generating-fixed-length-randomized-output/#findComment-1087702 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aeternitas Posted July 18, 2010 Author Share Posted July 18, 2010 Yes, it's true. Sometimes I am ridiculous. Thanks a ton for setting me straight. I'm going to kick myself for a few minutes while I alternate between laughing and crying, and eventually get back to work. Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/208083-problem-with-generating-fixed-length-randomized-output/#findComment-1087706 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel0 Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 function getRandom() { $letters = range('A', 'Z'); $digits = range(0, 9); return $letters[array_rand($letters)] . $letters[array_rand($letters)] . $letters[array_rand($letters)] . '-' . $digits[array_rand($digits)] . $digits[array_rand($digits)] . $letters[array_rand($letters)]; } Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/208083-problem-with-generating-fixed-length-randomized-output/#findComment-1087709 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 Alternatively, pretty much the same thing: function getRandom() { $options = array_merge(range('A', 'Z'), range(0, 9)); return $options[rand(0,25)] . $options[rand(0,25)] . $options[rand(0,25)] . '-' . $options[rand(26,35)] . $options[rand(0,25)] . $options[rand(0,25)]; } Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/208083-problem-with-generating-fixed-length-randomized-output/#findComment-1087711 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aeternitas Posted July 18, 2010 Author Share Posted July 18, 2010 Wow. Those solutions are incredibly elegant in contrast to mine. Thanks for all the help, everyone. I'll put it to good use! Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/208083-problem-with-generating-fixed-length-randomized-output/#findComment-1087715 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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