Picking a variable at random (without using arrays)

[starblood]

If I have the following variables:

var beatle1="paul";
var beatle2="john";
var beatle3="george";
var beatle4="ringo";

Is there a way of picking one of the names at random without incorporating the use of arrays in the code?

 

[cLFlaVA]

try something like this:

var beatle1="paul";
var beatle2="john";
var beatle3="george";
var beatle4="ringo";

var randomNumber = Math.floor( 1 + Math.random() * 4 );
alert(randomNumber + ": " + window['beatle' + randomNumber] );

*cLFlaVA
----------------------------
[tt]somebody set up us the bomb![/tt]

[URL unfurl="true"]http://www.coryarthus.com/[/url]

 

[kaht]

using the window collection will work:

<script type="text/javascript">

var beatle1="paul";
var beatle2="john";
var beatle3="george";
var beatle4="ringo";

function randomBeatle() {
   var a = Math.ceil(Math.random() * 4);
   var b = window["beatle" + a];
   alert(b);
}

</script>

<input type="button" value="click me" onclick="randomBeatle()" />

-kaht

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[starblood]

Thanks cLFlaVA and kaht. Worked a dream. Much appreciated!

 

[j4606]

A little late as always, but this works for me. Probobly not the best solution though.

<script type="text/javascript">

var beatle0="paul";
var beatle1="john";
var beatle2="george";
var beatle3="ringo";


function random(){
	var rannum=Math.floor(Math.random()*4);
	var ranbeatle = "beatle" + rannum; 
	eval("alert(eval(ranbeatle))"); 

}
</script>
<button onclick="random()">random</button>

 

[cLFlaVA]

oh god, he pulled an "eval"...



*cLFlaVA
----------------------------
[tt]somebody set up us the bomb![/tt]

[URL unfurl="true"]http://www.coryarthus.com/[/url]

 

[starblood]

Well it is destined for Actionscript in Flash so you never know I might end up using that "eval"!

Thanks for the alternative j4606.

 

[cLFlaVA]

i'm sorry to hear that.



*cLFlaVA
----------------------------
[tt]somebody set up us the bomb![/tt]

[URL unfurl="true"]http://www.coryarthus.com/[/url]

 

[starblood]

As predicted Actionscript didn't like the window collection method, but worked with the "eval"

Tortoise and the hare j4606!

Thanks to you all for helping out. Cheers!

 

[cLFlaVA]

there is a perfectly good flash forum that would probably point you in a better direction than eval.

this is the javascript forum, where eval is deprecated and shunned.



*cLFlaVA
----------------------------
[tt]somebody set up us the bomb![/tt]

[URL unfurl="true"]http://www.coryarthus.com/[/url]

 

[starblood]

Scripting is only a small part of using Flash whilst Actionscript is virtually the same as Javascript.

Hence the reason I posted here.

 

[j4606]

oh god, he pulled an "eval"...

I provided an actionscript solution in the javascript forums so technically I pulled an eval and a me.
Also I've been searching for documentation on "window collections"???.
I can't seem to find anything too usefull, just found some posts on how to use window[] to assign variables dynamically. I'm not so much interested on the how as to the why. If anyone has some good info/reading material i'd appreciate a link.

thanks