Return an array of randomly selected keys:
| <?php $a=array(“red”,“green”,“blue”,“yellow”,“brown”); $random_keys=array_rand($a,3); echo $a[$random_keys[0]].“<br>”; echo $a[$random_keys[1]].“<br>”; echo $a[$random_keys[2]]; ?> |
The array_rand() function returns a single random key from an array, or an array of random keys if you request multiple keys.
| array_rand(array, number) |
|
Parameter |
Description |
|
array |
Required. Provides an array. |
|
number |
Optional. Indicates the number of random keys to return. |
|
Return Value: |
Returns a random key from an array, or an array of random keys if multiple keys are requested. |
|
PHP Version: |
4+ |
|
PHP Changelog: |
PHP 7.1: rand() uses the Mersenne Twister random number generator. PHP 5.2.1: The resulting array of keys is no longer shuffled. PHP 4.2: The random number generator is automatically seeded. |
Retrieve a random key from an array.
| <?php $a=array(“a”=>“red”,“b”=>“green”,“c”=>“blue”,“d”=>“yellow”); print_r(array_rand($a,1)); ?> |
Return an array of randomly selected string keys.
| <?php $a=array(“a”=>“red”,“b”=>“green”,“c”=>“blue”,“d”=>“yellow”); print_r(array_rand($a,2)); ?> |