Question

I use php array_rand to select 1 random record from array, Example:

$style_class = array("st_style1","st_style2","st_style3","st_style4");
$random_class = array_rand($style_class, 1);
$div_class = $style_class[$random_class];

The issue is that sometimes it gives a same record several times, and as I use only 4 records it happens quiet often (using “array_rand” is not neccesary) .

Example:

st_style1,
st_style2,
st_style2,
st_style2,
st_style4,
st_style2 …

Is there a way to solve this issue, so two same record would not get displayed two times in a row.

For example

st_style2, st_style4, st_style2, st_style1, st_style3, st_style2, st_style1 …

Answer 1

The simpliest solution is to keep track of the latest one and keep calling random until you get something different. Something like:

$style_class = array("st_style1","st_style2","st_style3","st_style4");
$styles = array()
$lastStyle = -1
for($i = 0; $i < 5; $i++) {
    while(1==1) {
        $newStyle = array_rand($style_class, 1);
        if ($lastStyle != $newStyle) { 
            $lastStyle = $newStyle;
            break;
        }
    }
    $div_class = $style_class[$lastStyle]
    $styles[] = $div_class
}

Then use the $styles[] array in order. It should not have any duplicates