[Closed] selecting random elements in an array collection – help beginner

fn randomPick list count:1 = if iskindof list Array do
(
 if count >= list.count then list
 else
 (
  local items = #()
  while count > 0 do
  (
   i = random 1 list.count
   append items list[i]
   deleteitem list i
   count -= 1
  ) 
  items 
 )
)

here is the function which returns an array of randomly picked elements from the list. Number of elements to pick is defined by count…

If you’re after a completely random selection something like this should work.

      select (for i in Array1 where random 0 1 == 1 collect i)

 Cheers,
 
 Drea

Thankx alot , suprisingly, yesteraday night I arrived to something very similar to denisT`s definition approach , code :

rollout setfield “RandomPoints”
(
button garray “getArray”
spinner NPoints “NumberPoints :” type: #integer range:[10,1000,50]
button SlPoints “SelectPoints”

on garray pressed do 
    
(

        theArray = $Helpers as array
        blank = #()    
                
                for i=1 to NPoints.value do(
        indic = random 1 theArray.count
        appendifUnique blank theArray[indic]

                )
            )
            
            on SlPoints pressed do (

            select blank
                
            
            )

        )

fieldFloater = newRolloutFloater “Randomizer” 250 100
addRollout setField fieldFloater

This allowed me to specify a number of elements to collect , which should be equal to the number of times the core block inserts random items to a blank array for the final collect and select operation . But now Im gonna see if i can match the number of loops with the final array.count since Im using appendifunique only unique items are being retrieved ,soo i end specifying say 50 in the rollout yet the random code may return identical items making the final collection only 38 for example .

Anyway thanks alot you guys for lending a hand to a begginer , who was very happy knowing that “training is paying off” . Hugh