Question

I am using code igniter to retrieve data from a database

What is returned is an array objects

something like

array(
  [0] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 1
  },
  [1] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 4
  },
  [2] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 5
  },
  [3] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 7
  },
  [4] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 9
  },
  [5] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 10
  },
  [6] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 112
  },
  [7] = {
    mobile => '027xxxxxx',
    id     => 113
  }
)

I have a variable called count, this contains an arbitrary number (although always less than the number of objects in the array).

My question is:

Say count = 3,
How would I get an array of 3 random id’s from the object?

something like array(4, 9, 1)

I only want to get a single id once

so array(4, 4, 9) would be incorrect.

Note that the id’s are not linear.

Answer 1

$random_keys = array_rand(array_keys($your_array), 3);

array_rand

explain –

• array_keys only return the key from the original array
• array_rand will then pick randomly without repeatability
• and the return of array is contains key to your original array
• so you can retrieve any information from original array