[Resolved] Randomizing Names

sys4dm1n

I have created a simple name randomizer for a game my school is playing. I need it to pick names at random. I have done so.

But now i run into a problem..
Once a pair of names has been picked- it cant re pick it..how would i do this?

index.php

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<title>Random Team/Name Pick</title>
</head>

<body>
To pick a random team with names, press the generate putton below.
<FORM>
<INPUT TYPE="button" onClick="parent.location='pick.php'" value="Generate">
</FORM>
</body>
</html>

pick.php

<?php

$file = "data.txt"; //defines $file to = data.txt

srand((double)microtime()*1000000);

if (file_exists($file)) { //if the file actually exists, call it
	$arry_txt = preg_split("/--BREAK--/", join('', file($file))); //split the text file at every section if there is "--BREAK--" seperating
	echo $arry_txt[rand(0, sizeof($arry_txt) -1)]; //display the section at random.
} else {
	echo "Error: can't open $file"; //if the script cannot locate $file, echo (or display) the following error
} // for every "{" there needs to be an "}".  Same goes for "(".

?>

data.txt

Team: Team Killaz<br />
Name: Bob<br />
Name: Frank<br />
--BREAK--
Team: People Hunters<br />
Name: Andy<br />
Name: Greg<br />
--BREAK--
Team: Water Boxers<br />
Name: Joann<br />
Name: Hector<br />
--BREAK--
Team: Dunkin Guns<br />
Name: Liz<br />
Name: Jessica<br />
--BREAK--
Team: Rain Walkers<br />
Name: John<br />
Name: Sue<br />
--BREAK--
Team: Rocker Gunners<br />
Name: Fred<br />
Name: Mike<br />

drew010

instead of picking them at random like you do, what you can do is [man]shuffle[/man] the array prior to picking, then use [man]array_pop[/man] to remove and return the last element on the array (which will be randomized)

sys4dm1n

I read up on it- but how would i go about using $file

do you think you could post a commented example?

drew010

<?php

$file = "data.txt"; //defines $file to = data.txt

srand((double)microtime()*1000000);

if (file_exists($file)) { //if the file actually exists, call it
    $arry_txt = preg_split("/--BREAK--/", join('', file($file))); //split the text file at every section if there is "--BREAK--" seperating

shuffle($arry_txt);  //randomize

$team = array_pop($arry_txt);  //get last element and remove it

echo "The lucky team is<br />$team";  //show who was picked

} else {
    echo "Error: can't open $file"; //if the script cannot locate $file, echo (or display) the following error
} // for every "{" there needs to be an "}".  Same goes for "(".

?>

sys4dm1n

i just tried the example you gave me, and it still doesnt remove the last array like you mentioned?

drew010

yeah it works, just put print_r($arry_txt) before and then after the pop. you will see the array is shortened by 1, and it will be the one team that was picked that is gone.

sys4dm1n

this is what i get now:

Array ( [0] => Team: Dunkin Guns
Name: Liz
Name: Jessica
[1] => Team: Team Killaz
Name: Bob
Name: Frank
[2] => Team: Rain Walkers
Name: John
Name: Sue
[3] => Team: Water Boxers
Name: Joann
Name: Hector
[4] => Team: People Hunters
Name: Andy
Name: Greg
[5] => Team: Rocker Gunners
Name: Fred
Name: Mike
) Array ( [0] => Team: Dunkin Guns
Name: Liz
Name: Jessica
[1] => Team: Team Killaz
Name: Bob
Name: Frank
[2] => Team: Rain Walkers
Name: John
Name: Sue
[3] => Team: Water Boxers
Name: Joann
Name: Hector
[4] => Team: People Hunters
Name: Andy
Name: Greg
) The lucky team is
Team: Rocker Gunners
Name: Fred
Name: Mike

here is the current source:

<?php

$file = "data.txt"; //defines $file to = data.txt

srand((double)microtime()*1000000);

if (file_exists($file)) { //if the file actually exists, call it
    $arry_txt = preg_split("/--BREAK--/", join('', file($file))); //split the text file at every section if there is "--BREAK--" seperating

shuffle($arry_txt);  //randomize
print_r($arry_txt);
$team = array_pop($arry_txt);  //get last element and remove it
print_r($arry_txt);
echo "The lucky team is<br />$team";  //show who was picked

} else {
    echo "Error: can't open $file"; //if the script cannot locate $file, echo (or display) the following error
} // for every "{" there needs to be an "}".  Same goes for "(".

?>

should i pop the array and then write the rest back to the file?

drew010

oh you wanted it removed from the file too? yeah in that case you have to open the file in w+ mode to clear the contents then print the data from the new array.

sys4dm1n

okay, as u can tell- i am kind of new to this..but this is what i have so far:

<?php

$file = "data.txt"; //defines $file to = data.txt
$handle = fopen("$file", "w+");

srand((double)microtime()*1000000);

if (file_exists($file)) { //if the file actually exists, call it
    $arry_txt = preg_split("/--BREAK--/", join('', file($file))); //split the text file at every section if there is "--BREAK--" seperating

shuffle($arry_txt);  //randomize
print_r($arry_txt);
$team = array_pop($arry_txt);  //get last element and remove it
print_r($arry_txt);
echo "The lucky team is<br />$team";  //show who was picked

} else {
    echo "Error: can't open $file"; //if the script cannot locate $file, echo (or display) the following error
} // for every "{" there needs to be an "}".  Same goes for "(".

?>

What else do i need to add?

drew010

if you want to write it back out probably put something like this after the array_pop.


$fp = fopen($file, "w+");
foreach($arry_txt as $team) {
  fwrite($fp, "$team\n--BREAK--\n");
}
fclose($fp);

sys4dm1n

okay- this is wierd- it picks a team..but it doesnt delete it still...this is my current code:

<?php

$file = "data.txt"; //defines $file to = data.txt

srand((double)microtime()*1000000);

if (file_exists($file)) { //if the file actually exists, call it
    $arry_txt = preg_split("/--BREAK--/", join('', file($file))); //split the text file at every section if there is "--BREAK--" seperating

shuffle($arry_txt);  //randomize
$team = array_pop($arry_txt);  //get last element and remove it
$fp = fopen($file, "w+");
foreach($arry_txt as $team) {
  fwrite($fp, "$team\n--BREAK--\n");
}
fclose($fp);
    echo "The lucky team is<br />$team";  //show who was picked

} else {
    echo "Error: can't open $file"; //if the script cannot locate $file, echo (or display) the following error
} // for every "{" there needs to be an "}".  Same goes for "(".

?>

after looking harder, i notice that there is two --BREAK-- lines after another looking like it deleted teh wrong line or something.

http://www.2xbpro.com/gb/ is the script. data.txt is the text file

drew010

i came up with this workaround for it...

    shuffle($arry_txt);  //randomize
    $team = array_pop($arry_txt);  //get last element and remove it
    $fp = fopen($file, "w+");

for($i = 0; $i < sizeof($arry_txt); ++$i) {
  fwrite($fp, trim($arry_txt[$i]) . "\n");
  if ($i < sizeof($arry_txt) - 1) {
    fwrite($fp, "--BREAK--\n");
  }
}

fclose($fp);

echo "The lucky team is<br />$team";  //show who was picked

that way it wont draw a break after the last team

sys4dm1n

Oh man, that was perfect. Thanks a ton!

I would never have gotten this far with out you. If you need something, let me know.

drew010

cool, glad you got it working. good luck with it...