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Selecting a random record

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    #1

    Selecting a random record

    Ok.. Been working on this one and can't figure it out.
    My application has the enter user a series of records each day. Each of those records has a field that varies (ex. a or b or c).

    I am trying to find a way to select the records entered on a specific day (which is easy).
    Now the tough part for me....

    I also need the software to select a random record from each field (a or b or c).

    Can anyone help?????
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Selecting a random record

    Michael,
    Welcome to the board first off!

    Check out the "Similar Threads" area directly below this thread's posts....or do a search for "Random" on the message board. And search ALL forums without limiting it to just one version as most questions are not version specific.

    If you cannot find what you need....or if you do find your solution, please post back. This message board is used as a knowledgebase and dead end threads are frustrating!

    :)
    Mike
    __________________________________________
    It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
    It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
    Henry David Thoreau
    __________________________________________



    Comment

      #3
      Re: Selecting a random record

      Originally posted by MikeC View Post
      If you cannot find what you need....or if you do find your solution, please post back. This message board is used as a knowledgebase and dead end threads are frustrating!
      Just a ntoe to add to what Mike said, in my searching this forum through the years, I find that equally frustrating are threads where someone asks a question and others offer suggestions but the person who began the thread never responds.

      kenn
      TYVM :) kenn

      Knowing what you can achieve will not become reality until you imagine and explore.

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Selecting a random record

        Originally posted by MikeC View Post
        If you cannot find what you need....or if you do find your solution, please post back. This message board is used as a knowledgebase and dead end threads are frustrating!
        Just a note to add to what Mike said, in my searching this forum through the years, I find that equally frustrating are threads where someone asked a question and others offer suggestions but the person who began the thread never responds.

        kenn
        TYVM :) kenn

        Knowing what you can achieve will not become reality until you imagine and explore.

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Selecting a random record

          As you may or may not be aware. True randomization is extremely hard to reproduce electronically. I once read an article about online casinos and a device they used to random select cards from the deck, slot machines, roulette, etc. This device cost hundreds of thousands and used sound(or maybe radio?) waves picked up in space to produce random numbers.

          But for alpha you can use the random_records() function, documented here.

          http://wiki.alphasoftware.com/RANDOM...ghlight=random
          Lee Goldberg
          Software Development and Sales
          Shore Consultants Ltd.
          [email protected]
          www.shorecon.com

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Selecting a random record

            Mike, Lee is spot on. I teach Stats as a sideline and true randomness is soooo hard to generate.
            Does it really have to be that random? What are you hoping to achieve?
            One wasy would be to create a simple(ish) algorythm with a constantly changing value which you could use as a function of another given value - like the number of records in the table.

            Don't forget - throwing 6 "Sixes" in a row is still a random event, as is 12 "heads" in coin tossing. Random does NOT mean different. But you knew that :-)
            See our Hybrid Option here;
            https://hybridapps.example-software.com/

            Apologies to anyone I haven't managed to upset yet.
            You are held in a queue and I will get to you soon.

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Selecting a random record

              Originally posted by baldguy View Post
              I also need the software to select a random record from each field (a or b or c).
              Looks like to me you meant to say "to select a random field from each record"

              I created this function some time ago for another purpose.
              Code:
              FUNCTION scramble AS C (cnt as n )
	choices = substr("ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ",1,cnt)
	its  = ceiling(rand()*100)
	FOR i = 1 TO its
		choices = *transpose(choices,ceiling(mod(rand()*100,cnt)),ceiling(mod(rand()*100,cnt)))
	next i
	scramble = choices
END FUNCTION
              I think it can be used for your needs. (Not truly random, as others have noted.)

              Code:
              ? left(scramble(3),1)
= "C"
? left(scramble(3),1)
= "B"

? left(scramble(3),1)
= "B"

? left(scramble(3),1)
= "A"

? left(scramble(3),1)
= "B"

? left(scramble(3),1)
= "A"

? left(scramble(3),1)
= "B"

? left(scramble(3),1)
= "A"

? left(scramble(3),1)
= "A"

? left(scramble(3),1)
= "C"

? left(scramble(3),1)
= "C"
              There can be only one.

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Selecting a random record

                I came across a website today, www.random.org, and decided to make a function in alpha to generate random integers using the random.org web client. This should give you true random numbers.

                So attached is the database that contains the RandNums() function


                The limitations for Random.Org's Integer Generator are....

                Amount of Random Integers <= 10,000
                Integer Range = +/- 1,000,000,000

                (Alpha limitations are probably less than this, not sure what the limitations of the characters data types are in xBasic but I assume it's about 1,024 bytes?)

                Happy Randomizing
                Lee Goldberg
                Software Development and Sales
                Shore Consultants Ltd.
                [email protected]
                www.shorecon.com

                Comment

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