[RESOLVED] picking a random result from an array

[rupertbj]

I'm trying to pick out a single result from an array at random and use it to display a photo for each photo album.

This is the code so far:

$max_cols = 4;
$fileCount = 0;
$output = '';
$dir = "pictures"; 
$folder = scandir($dir, 0);
$files = array_reverse($folder); 
for( $ctr = 0; $ctr < sizeof( $files ); $ctr++ ) { 
if($files[$ctr] != "." && $files[$ctr] != "..") 
if (sscanf($files[$ctr], '%4d%2d%2d', $year, $month, $day) == 3) { 
    $months = array(1 => 'January', 'February', 'March', 'April', 'May', 'June', 
        'July', 'August', 'September', 'October', 'November', 'December'); 
    $date = "$day  $months[$month] $year"; 

$fileCount++;

if($fileCount%$max_cols==1)
{
    $output .= "<tr>\n";
}


$link = "$dir/$files[$ctr]";
// echo $link;
$curDir = getcwd(); 

if(chdir($link))
{
    $dirpic = glob('*.{JPG,jpg}', GLOB_BRACE); 
sort($dirpic);
    chdir($curDir);

// echo $dirpic;
$key = array_rand($dirpic, 1);
echo $dirpic[$key[0]];


$output .= "<td align=center><a href='list_pictures.php?pics=$dir/$files[$ctr]'><img src='$link/$dirpic' style='height:100;width:auto;'><br>$date</a></td>";
if($fileCount%$max_cols==0)
{
    $output .= "</tr>\n";
}


} 
}
}
    print " 
                        <table border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\"0 cellspacing=\"4\" bgcolor=\"#000000\">
				        {$output}
                        </table>
	";

Array_Rand still only seems to throw up an array... struggling to get it to pick one result. Any ideas please?

[Derokorian]

array_rand returns a key, or array of keys for random entries in the provided array. The only time an array of keys is returned is when the second (optional) parameter is specified and greater than 1:

echo '<pre>';

$array = array();
for($i=1;$i<500;$i++) $array[] = $i;

$key = array_rand($array);
echo $array[$key] . "\n\n";

$keys = array_rand($array,5);
foreach( $keys as $key ) echo $array[$key] . "\n";

Hope that helps.

[rupertbj]

Amazing... thanks for that!

Finally got it working with the following code:

$max_cols = 4;
$fileCount = 0;
$output = '';
$dir = "pictures"; 
$folder = scandir($dir, 0);
$files = array_reverse($folder); 
for( $ctr = 0; $ctr < sizeof( $files ); $ctr++ ) { 
if($files[$ctr] != "." && $files[$ctr] != "..") 
if (sscanf($files[$ctr], '%4d%2d%2d', $year, $month, $day) == 3) { 
    $months = array(1 => 'January', 'February', 'March', 'April', 'May', 'June', 
        'July', 'August', 'September', 'October', 'November', 'December'); 
    $date = "$day  $months[$month] $year"; 

$fileCount++;

if($fileCount%$max_cols==1)
{
    $output .= "<tr>\n";
}


$link = "$dir/$files[$ctr]";
// echo $link;
$curDir = getcwd(); 

if(chdir($link))
{
    $dirpic = glob('*.{JPG,jpg}', GLOB_BRACE); 
sort($dirpic);
    chdir($curDir);

// echo $dirpic;
$key = array_rand($dirpic);
//echo $dirpic[$key];


$output .= "<td align=center><a href='list_pictures.php?pics=$dir/$files[$ctr]'><img src='$link/$dirpic[$key]' style='height:100;width:auto;'><br>$date</a></td>";
if($fileCount%$max_cols==0)
{
    $output .= "</tr>\n";
}


} 
}
}
    print " 
                        <table border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\"0 cellspacing=\"4\" bgcolor=\"#000000\">
				        {$output}
                        </table>
	";