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* repeater (repeater / lucentprimate.cjb.net) wrote:
> i've not used ruby for that long, but i've found the need to do the
> following rather often:
> 
> [3, 2, 5, 2, 19].rand_item		# => returns random item from array
> 
> short code, but could be helpful to others (needed it in all of my last
> projects, but perhaps i'm just strange)

Were you asking for code to return a random element, or saying you have
code that returns a random element?  If it's the latter, here's a 
quick answer:

--
class Array
  def rand
    raise RuntimeError, 'Array#rand(): empty array' unless length > 0
    at Kernel::rand(length).floor
  end
end

# test Array#rand()
arr = %w(asdf hey matz ruby rocks test 123)
4.times { puts arr.rand }
[].rand
--

produces (for this particular run):
hey
matz
rocks
hey
./array_random.rb:5:in `rand': Array#rand(): empty array (RuntimeError)
        from ./array_random.rb:15

> regards
> repeater

-- 
Paul Duncan <pabs / pablotron.org>        pabs on #gah (OPN IRC)
http://www.pablotron.org/               OpenPGP Key ID: 0x82C29562

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