Linking Random Data Problem

[derryn]

Hi guys,

In an effort to familiarise myself with A5, I�ve created some �mini-apps� as skill builders and I was going fairly well� until I got totally stuck!

I have a table called �Random� with 2 fields: �Member ID� & �Random ID�
The Member ID field relates to a member (Data is simply an incremental number to make it unique), whilst the Random ID field is initially empty

I�d love A5 to perform an on-Click Javascript event (set to the press of a button) that copies the contents of each (MEMBER ID) field in the table randomly into the a Random ID field.

Example:
Member ID field � Random ID field
Member 07� randomly assigned... Member 09
Member 09� randomly assigned... Member 07
Member 54� randomly assigned... Member 88
Member 65� randomly assigned... Member 91
Member 78� randomly assigned... Member 65
Member 88� randomly assigned... Member 99
Member 91� randomly assigned... Member 92
Member 92� randomly assigned... Member 78
Member 99� randomly assigned... Member 54

The basic rules I�d need to stick to are:
� A5 must randomly allocate each member
� A5 must never chose the same member (ie Member 07 can�t be re-allocated Member 07)
� Each member should only be randomly assigned to ONE member
� Should accommodate for unlimited number of Member ID fields


I�m sure many of you will find this relatively easy and I�d really appreciate some assistance.

[derryn]

Re: Linking Random Data Problem

Have had some fantastic code by Steve Wood, which:

1) Counts the records in the table and creates an array with just the record numbers
2) Runs through the table once.
3) Gets a random number between 1 and the size of the table.
4) Updates “assigned_member with the value in the array at that position defined above
5) Deletes that array element (so the number won’t be used twice) and decreases the range of the random number list (“s”)

So, first pass it gets a random number between 1 and the size of the table (say 200). Then it finds array element number 200 and gets the value (which happens to be 200). Then it removes 200 from the available list. Then it does it again, but the random number is now between 1 and 199. etc.

dim lst as c = ""
dim tbl as p
tbl = table.open("yourtable")
s = reccount("yourtable")
for x = 1 to s
lst = lst + x + crlf()
next
delete arr
dim arr[0] as p
arr.initialize_properties("Recno:N",lst)

tbl.fetch_first()
tbl.batch_begin()
while .not. tbl.fetch_eof()
posn = 1 + floor(rand()*s)
if posn = 0
continue
end if
tbl.change_begin()
tbl.Assigned_Member = arr[posn].recno
tbl.change_end()
arr.delete(posn,1)
s = s - 1
tbl.fetch_next()
end while
tbl.batch_end()
tbl.close()

---------------


This code allocated a number to each member ID perfectly, however I’m in need of the data in the Member ID field to be presented instead of an incremental number.