php select X items from set?

Question

I am using code igniter to retrieve data from a database

What is returned is an array objects

something like

array(
  [0] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 1
  },
  [1] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 4
  },
  [2] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 5
  },
  [3] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 7
  },
  [4] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 9
  },
  [5] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 10
  },
  [6] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 112
  },
  [7] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 113
  }
)

I have a variable called count, this contains an arbitrary number (although always less than the number of objects in the array).

My question is:

Say count = 3, How would I get an array of 3 random id's from the object?

something like array(4, 9, 1)

I only want to get a single id once

so array(4, 4, 9) would be incorrect.

Note that the id's are not linear.

ajreal · Accepted Answer · 2010-12-21 03:21:36Z

4

$random_keys = array_rand(array_keys($your_array), 3);

array_rand

explain -

array_keys only return the key from the original array
array_rand will then pick randomly without repeatability
and the return of array is contains key to your original array
so you can retrieve any information from original array

answered Dec 21, 2010 at 3:21

ajreal

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2 Comments

user419017 Over a year ago

You won't believe how complicated I was going to make that ;)

Hailwood Over a year ago

@alreal: Awesome! @Zenph Same here!

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