How to use the random function to randomly select a string from an array?
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Hey, @xNug!
Please remember to
/close this post once your question has been answered!As you've noticed, these strings are in an array, each in a different index, 0 to 4
So pick a random number from 0 to 4 and take the string that's at that index
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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Those 5 numbers are 0 to 4
It's the same as for any range of numbers from 0 to something
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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Not when you pick them, no
You'll notice that computers tend to royally not care why you make them do stuff
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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I want you to use Random in the normal way
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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Do you just refuse to look it up?
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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is it ok to select the same name multiple times
@xNug
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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Baeldung
Java - Get Random Item/Element From a List | Baeldung
A quick and practical guide to picking a random item/items from a List in Java.
this one specifically uses an array so you don't have to change list semantics into array semantics https://stackoverflow.com/a/8065554/3243226
Stack Overflow
How to randomly pick an element from an array
I am looking for solution to pick number randomly from an integer array.
For example I have an array new int[]{1,2,3}, how can I pick a number randomly?
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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no worries
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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Show code
I assume you've just used the method but it can't access your array
So you can just move the code into your main class or give the array to the method as a parameter
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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yeah you just need
String myRandomName = names[randomIndex];
you're not returning anything here
@xNugUnknown UserOP•3y ago
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you want to print randomIndex not generator
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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wait
you've compressed 3 lines into 2 for some reason
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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don't remove it, changei t
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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yes, hence
int randomIndexUnknown UserOP•3y ago
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but instead of returning it (to nowhere), save it to a variable called - in this case -
randomlySelectedNameUnknown UserOP•3y ago
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which one do you think
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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it's the randomly selected name
so if you want to print that ou then yeah it's in that variable
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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why not just try it
give it a go and see what happens, print both and see what each does
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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the computer won't be upset you ran the program multiple times
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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What is specifically happening that's bypassing the random function of needing an integer inputnothing, we're using the array's length as the (integer) input we're passing
names.length as the parameter to nextInt; names.length is an intUnknown UserOP•3y ago
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arrays report their length using
.length, this value is an integer; is that clear so farUnknown UserOP•3y ago
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generator.nextInt(...) takes an
int argument, do you agree?Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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so if the array produces its length as an int, and nextInt takes an int, i can pass the array's length into nextInt
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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that's the next step
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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yes but that's the next step, i need to ask for a randomly generated position
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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but in order to get
Random to not generate any old random shite, i can give it an upper bound (which is the int argument)
so what i'm saying to random is "please generate me a random number between 0 and this int input (exclusive)"Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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the
int input is the length of this array
random says ok here you go....2
i now have the random position generated for me by Random
i can now go back to my array and say hey can you give me the 2th position please
it says here you go, jeff
so step 1 is ask random for a random number up to (but not including) the length of my array
step 2 is ask the array for the array position corresponding to taht randomly generated numberUnknown UserOP•3y ago
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so that's how we randomly select a value from an array
it might be useful to look at the docs of
nextInt(int):
public int nextInt(int bound)
Returns a pseudorandom, uniformly distributed int value between 0 (inclusive) and the specified value (exclusive),source: https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/17/docs/api/java.base/java/util/Random.html#nextInt(int)
Random (Java SE 17 & JDK 17)
declaration: module: java.base, package: java.util, class: Random
Unknown UserOP•3y ago
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no worries
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