Hey =) How can you (If you can) choose between 2+ values? *Solved*

Programming Questions

kingdrago..

Hey =) How can you (If you can) choose between 2+ values? Solved

in Programming Questions • 11 months ago

Well, what I would like to do is create a variable with a value between -5 and -1 or 1 and 5? I'm aware I could do it a long winded way but I was wondering if there was an easy way of doing it? For example, in the programming language I have just moved on from (GML - GameMaker Language) there is a choose() function which has an equal chance of choosing each of the arguments, which would look like this in processing:

int value = choose(int(random(-5, -1), int(random(1, 5));

This would give the variable 'value' a value ranging between either -5 to 1 or between 1 to 5.

Is there an easy way of doing this in processing?

Thanks in advance =)

KingD.

P.S. Sorry if I haven't been clear enough. Let me know and I'll be more clear if necessary =)

Replies(3)

jun.jk

Re: Hey =) How can you (If you can) choose between 2+ values? Explained in the post...

11 months ago

If there's an equal chance of choosing either of those options, that means there is a 50% chance of choosing either one. You can do this, too, with a random number:

int value; //initialize the value
if (random(1) >= 0.5) value = floor(random(-5,-1)); //if a random number between 0.00 and 1.00 is 0.50 or more, set it to the negative value
else value = floor(random(1,5)); //otherwise set it to the positive value.

If you have more than two options, it might be more expedient to use a switch:

int value; //init the value
switch (floor(random(5)){ //switch on random numbers from 0 thru 4, rounded down
case 0: //if the switched value is 0
value = floor(random(1,10));
break; //break out of this case
case 1:
value = floor(random(-10,-1));
break;
case 2:
value = floor(random(11,20));
break;
case 3:
value = floor(random(-20,-11));
break;
case 4:
value = floor(random(-20,20));
break;
}

kingdrago..

Re: Hey =) How can you (If you can) choose between 2+ values? Explained in the post...

11 months ago

Thanks, that's helped a lot =)

KingD.

rbrauer

Re: Hey =) How can you (If you can) choose between 2+ values? Solved

11 months ago

I don't know if its any better or worse performance wise, but I usually do it like this:

int choice = new int[]{(int)random(-5,-1), (int)random(1,5)}[(int)random(2)];

It takes a random index from a temporary array of choices.

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