random selection of CSV's

[monomaniac21]

Hi all!

Is there a function in PHP-MySQL to randomly select comma-seperated
variables in a text field?

For example if you have a text field containing the values
"1,1.2,4,5.6," is there a way of randomly selecting one of the numbers?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[monomaniac21]

is array_rand the best bet?

[noone]

monomaniac21 wrote:

Hi all!

Is there a function in PHP-MySQL to randomly select comma-seperated
variables in a text field?

For example if you have a text field containing the values
"1,1.2,4,5.6," is there a way of randomly selecting one of the numbers?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

$selected = $arrayvar[ rand(0,array_count_values($record)-1) ]
get a random element within the array

not tested - YMMV.

[noone]

monomaniac21 wrote:

is array_rand the best bet?

yes, that too... :)

[monomaniac21]

Thanks noone, how can you convert a text field into an array? or how
can you create an array field in mysql?

[Al Binns]

monomaniac21 wrote:

Thanks noone, how can you convert a text field into an array? or how
can you create an array field in mysql?

I'd use the explode() function

<?php

$str = "1,2,3,4";
$arr = explode(",",$str);
print_r($arr);

?>

[noone]

monomaniac21 wrote:

Thanks noone, how can you convert a text field into an array? or how
can you create an array field in mysql?

go to the docs and lookup arrays, explode

Two sites that will help you immeasurably!!
www.mysql.com
and http://us3.php.net/manual/en/funcref.php
then use the search feature
From the docs: http://us3.php.net/manual/en/function.explode.php
// Example 1
$pizza = "piece1,piece2,piece3,piece4,piece5,piece6";

// or you can get the field from a database - coding left to
// the OP - you learn better that way...

$pieces = explode(",", $pizza);
echo $pieces[0]; // piece1
echo $pieces[1]; // piece2

[Cmac]

$string = $_POST['something'];

$chars = preg_split('//', $string, -1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY);

list($pone,$ptwo,$pthree,$pfour,$pfive,$psix,$psev en) = $chars;

you can split a string into an array this way too...

[Jerry Stuckle]

monomaniac21 wrote:

Thanks noone, how can you convert a text field into an array? or how
can you create an array field in mysql?

You don't create an array field in MySQL. Rather, you create a second
table with a one-to-multiple linkage.

In this case you would have two columns - id and numval (or a more
appropriate name for whatever you're using it for). id would match the
id in the first table. numval would hold one value in each row. So,
you might end up with something like:

id numval
4 1
4 1.2
4 4
4 5.6
--
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Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
js*******@attglobal.net
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