Weighted Random

[tierbone]

I am currently just using something similar to the following to select a string from an array, and it works fine.

Func Randomarray()
    $array[1] = "hi"
    $array[2] = "hey"
    $array[3] = "hello"
    $array[4] = "yo"
    $array[5] = "hey1"
    $array[6] = "hi1"
    $array[7] = heyhey"
    $randstring = Random(1, ubound($array),1)
    Return $array[$randemail]
EndFunc

What I am trying to do is have it select 1 or more strings at a more/less frequent interval that the others. Is there already a funcion that I can use, if not, where would I start in making it?

[martin]

I am currently just using something similar to the following to select a string from an array, and it works fine.

Func Randomarray()
     $array[1] = "hi"
     $array[2] = "hey"
     $array[3] = "hello"
     $array[4] = "yo"
     $array[5] = "hey1"
     $array[6] = "hi1"
     $array[7] = heyhey"
     $randstring = Random(1, ubound($array),1)
     Return $array[$randemail]
 EndFunc

What I am trying to do is have it select 1 or more strings at a more/less frequent interval that the others. Is there already a funcion that I can use, if not, where would I start in making it?

If you have a list of numbered N items and you want some items to be chosen more frequently then in principal you could increase the size of the list and duplicate the items you want to be picked more frequently. Or you could get a random number between a larger range than th enumber of items and then have some way of deciding what the answer meant.

Eg

Func Randomarray()
     $array[1] = "hi"
     $array[2] = "hey"
     $array[3] = "hello"
     $array[4] = "yo"
     $array[5] = "hey1"
     $array[6] = "hi1"
     $array[7] = heyhey"
     $randstringA = Random(1, 10*ubound($array),1)
switch $randomstringA
  case 1 to 3
      $Randomstring = 1
  Case 4 to 10
   $$randomstring = 2
  ;etc, weighting as required

  endswitch
     Return $array[$randemail]
 EndFunc