How to randomize an array of objects in PHP?

Question

I have this example of an array of objects and I need to randomize it each time I do a foreach loop.

Looks like shuffle works only on arrays.

One thing is that I cant convert this into an array, because then it will become a STD object which I can't use, because of the way my mapper works.

array(48) {
  [0] => object(Friends_Model_Friends)#142 (4) {
    ["_id":protected] => NULL
    ["_tal":protected] => object(stdClass)#194 (3) {
      ["thumb"] => object(stdClass)#196 (6) {
        ["id"] => string(8) "10884697"
        ["type"] => string(1) "2"
        ["gallery"] => string(1) "1"
      }
    }
    ["_friend":protected] => string(7) "3492149"
    ["_dependent_table":protected] => NULL
  }
  [1] => object(Friends_Model_Friends)#195 (4) {
    ["_id":protected] => NULL
    ["_tal":protected] => object(stdClass)#143 (3) {
      ["thumb"] => object(stdClass)#202 (6) {
        ["id"] => string(8) "11160632"
        ["type"] => string(1) "2"
        ["gallery"] => string(1) "1"
      }
    }
    ["_friend":protected] => string(7) "3301541"
    ["_dependent_table":protected] => NULL
  }
....

Any ideas on shuffling this?

edit: Zend_Debug::dump(shuffle($object)); returns bool(true)

You are telling, that you have an array, but then you say, that shuffle only works with arrays and you can't convert it [the array] into an array, because it will become an object? Sorry, but that makes completely no sense to me... — KingCrunch
– KingCrunch, Commented Jul 10, 2012 at 19:24
So, did you try shuffle() and it didn't shuffle the array? — nickb
– nickb, Commented Jul 10, 2012 at 19:24
@Patrioticcow What result do you get from the shuffle() call? In what way does it not work? Can you show the code you used to call it? — DaveRandom
– DaveRandom, Commented Jul 10, 2012 at 19:25
if i do Zend_Debug::dump(shuffle($object)); i get bool(true) — Patrioticcow
– Patrioticcow, Commented Jul 10, 2012 at 19:27
@Patrioticcow shuffle() shuffles the array, but returns a boolean. — KingCrunch
– KingCrunch, Commented Jul 10, 2012 at 19:28

DaneSoul · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-10 19:30:26Z

4

<?php
$my_array;
echo '<pre>'; print_r($my_array); echo '</pre>';
shuffle ($my_array);
echo '<pre>'; print_r($my_array); echo '</pre>';
?>

Try this code

answered Jul 10, 2012 at 19:30

DaneSoul

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prodigitalson · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-10 19:24:35Z

3

But the objects are in an array, not another object so you can use shuffle...

answered Jul 10, 2012 at 19:24

prodigitalson

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Jimmy Knoot · Accepted Answer · 2013-07-11 08:46:14Z

3

Shuffle always returns a boolean:

bool shuffle ( array &$array )

So you can't return it like

return shuffle( $myAwesomeArray );

This is what I just did and I wondered why it didn't give anything back, as you're probably expecting your shuffled array back.

You just have to call it like this

shuffle( $myAwesomeArray );
return $myAwesomeArray;

And all should work just fine.

answered Jul 11, 2013 at 8:46

Jimmy Knoot

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