selecting random rows and setting value to each one

Smudly

Hi,

I am attempting to create a script that will give each row inside my database (each one contains a website url) a random value from 1 to the total number of rows in the table. Once each one is set, my script will go to the row with the value that has been set to 1. If that row's active status is == to Yes, and it's Credits > 0, the website will be selected to be shown to the user. If not, it will skip that row, and do the same checks for Row 2.

I'm having difficulty figuring this out.

dagon

why not just select a random row with a status of yes and credit >0 ? i don't see the point of your adding random numbers in to the db

Smudly

The problem is, the website need to be viewed in a random order (not the same order every time). Also, when I try it the way you specified, the same sites come up. I need it to randomly show all sites, and once ALL sites have been shown, every site is able to be shown for a second time.

Weedpacket

Smudly wrote:
The problem is, the website need to be viewed in a random order (not the same order every time).

Well, that's what would happen if you

dagon wrote:
select a random row with a status of yes and credit >0

I need it to randomly show all sites, and once ALL sites have been shown, every site is able to be shown for a second time.

So add a column to say if it's already been seen or not.

Each time you want a new record, select a random one from among those that have not been seen (and satisfy the other criteria). When it has been seen, use the column to mark that the record has been seen.

If that fails (because there were no not-yet-seen records left), mark all of them as not seen, and try again.

Smudly

I figured out a small problem with my logic on this. The randomizing needs to output a different result for every user. So, doing this like you are saying, wouldn't work. Anytime any one user has seen a website, it would be marked as "Don't Show" until all others have been seen.

dagon

Then you need to log user and viewed site in a db.

how you will determine a new user is going to be an issue if you don't have a login system in place.