Question

I have a three-column layout, and each column has multiple divs that hold blocks of similar content:

<section class="info-blocks-container clearfix">
<div id="col1">
    <div class="info-block">...</div>
    <div class="info-block">...</div>
    <div class="info-block">...</div>
</div>
<div id="col2">
    <div class="info-block">...</div>
    <div class="info-block">...</div>
</div>
<div id="col3">
    <div class="info-block">...</div>
    <div class="info-block">...</div>
    <div class="info-block">...</div>
</div>
</section>

I’d like to shuffle the children divs within div#col1, div#col2, and div#col3 amongst the columns randomly, so some of #col1‘s child divs end up in #col2 and/or #col3, and vice-versa. I’m using thecodeparadox’s function reorder() found here (I removed the ‘undo’ function) and the shuffling is working, but
1. the way I have 3 separate duplicate functions is very dirty, and
2. it’s only sorting the divs within each column (it’s not sharing the children divs among the three columns):

<script type="text/javascript">
$(function(){
    reorder();
    reorder2();
    reorder3();

    function reorder() {
        var grp = $(".info-blocks-container > div:nth-child(1)").children();
        var cnt = grp.length;

        var temp, x;
        for (var i = 0; i < cnt; i++) {
            temp = grp[i];
            x = Math.floor(Math.random() * cnt);
            grp[i] = grp[x];
            grp[x] = temp;
        }
        $(grp).remove();
        $(".info-blocks-container > div:nth-child(1)").append($(grp));
    }
    function reorder2() {
        var grp = $(".info-blocks-container > div:nth-child(2)").children();
        var cnt = grp.length;

        var temp, x;
        for (var i = 0; i < cnt; i++) {
            temp = grp[i];
            x = Math.floor(Math.random() * cnt);
            grp[i] = grp[x];
            grp[x] = temp;
        }
        $(grp).remove();
        $(".info-blocks-container > div:nth-child(2)").append($(grp));
    }
    function reorder3() {
        var grp = $(".info-blocks-container > div:nth-child(3)").children();
        var cnt = grp.length;

        var temp, x;
        for (var i = 0; i < cnt; i++) {
            temp = grp[i];
            x = Math.floor(Math.random() * cnt);
            grp[i] = grp[x];
            grp[x] = temp;
        }
        $(grp).remove();
        $(".info-blocks-container > div:nth-child(3)").append($(grp));
    }
});
</script>

Any suggestions?

Answer 1

At second, your problem was a really a challenge for me. But I think I found a solution:

var columnsCollection = new Array();
var columnsObjectsNumber = new Array();

reorder();
function reorder() {
    $(".info-blocks-container").find("DIV[id^='col']").each(function()
    {           
        var tmp = $(this).children();
        //Store the numbers of contained children
        columnsObjectsNumber.push($(tmp).size());
        $(tmp).each(function()
        {
            //transfers current child object to our global store place
            columnsCollection.push($(this));
            //and removed it
            $(this).remove();
        });
    });

    var restartIndex = 0;
    $(".info-blocks-container").find("DIV[id^='col']").each(function()
    {
        //Contains the random generated number
        var x;
        //Contains the current object with Id 'col..'
        var temp = $(this);
        for (var i = 0; i < columnsObjectsNumber[restartIndex]; i++)
        {
            /*
              Generates a random number.
             The maximum limit is the current length from our global store place
            */
            x = Math.floor(Math.random() * columnsCollection.length);
            //Appends the object to the current object with Id 'col..'
            $(temp).append(columnsCollection[x]);
            //Removes the appended element from global store place
            columnsCollection.splice(x,1);
         }
        restartIndex++;
    });   
}

It doesn’t looks professional, but it works. Hopefully it is what you requested for…