Display random word from tables

Getting Started Newbie Questions
#1 
m = {"John", "Steve", "Kris", "Ben"} m.name = m f = {"Katie", "Susan", "Patricia", "Elizabeth"} f.name = f

How I can display random word from both of those two tables?

Code below I am using for random word from one table, but I can’t figure out how to merge or…  tables to be able access words from both. I am thinking about function 50/50 but I am new guy here and I need some help.

Any suggestions?

m = {"John", "Steve", "Kris", "Ben"} tableIdx = math.random(#m) tableWord = m[tableIdx] word = display.newText(tableWord, 100, 100, "Helvetica", 24)
#2

I may not have understood your post, but try this code to see one way to do it:

-- -- Try this code EXACTLY -- local names1 = {"John", "Steve", "Kris", "Ben"} local names2 = {"Katie", "Susan", "Patricia", "Elizabeth"} for i = 1, 100 do local first = names1[math.random(#names1)] local second = names2[math.random(#names2)] local merged = first .. " " .. second print( i, merged ) end

While the above code will print random selections from both tables, it won’t be an evenly random distribution over the short course.  i.e. If you only iterate 3 times you may get repeats.

IMHO, a Shuffle Bag is really the way to go here.

#3

Thanks for help and sorry for my bad formulated question.

I want to display one random word at a time from “WORDS” table, but I can’t get access for words in those nested  “M” and “F” tables (code below).

The reason why I am doing this instead of one table because I want to assign names for different word categories to be able use them on collision event.

WORDS = { M = {"John", "Steve", "Kris", "Ben"}, F = {"Katie", "Susan", "Patricia", "Elizabeth"} } M.name = M F.name = F
#4 
local random = math.random WORDS = { M = {"John", "Steve", "Kris", "Ben"}, F = {"Katie", "Susan", "Patricia", "Elizabeth"} } print (WORDS.M[random(#WORDS.M)], WORDS.F[random(#WORDS.F)])

I’ve used “#” to get the length of the tables. If you want to access a certain element, you can use:

WORDS.M[1]

Does this work for you?

#5

Thanks, but it prints two words and I need just one from both tables. And It’s looks like there is no way to do this like that.

What if I keep both tables separate and use function witch half a time will take words from one table and other half from another one. Any ideas how to implement it? 

#6

Unless you’re trying to write Call Of Duty in Corona, there is always a way. 

[lua]

local random = math.random

local sexes = {“M”, “F”}

local words = {

M =  {“John”, “Steve”, “Kris”, “Ben”},

F = {“Katie”, “Susan”, “Patricia”, “Elizabeth”}

}

local sexID = sexes[random(#sexes)]  – get whether to use M or F table

local wordID = random(#words[sexID]) – get a random word ID to use from chosen table

print ("WORD IS: "…words[wordID])   – get the word from the words table based on ID

[/lua]

#7

“attempt to concatenate field ‘?’ (a nil value)”? I am getting this error here.

#8

What do you mean by that? It gets one from each table. Don’t you want that?

Also, I have shown you the way to access those table elements. You can always edit the code to your needs.

#9

My mistake. I was missing the part that branches off to the ‘M’ or ‘F’ table in the words table.

[lua]

print ("WORD IS: "…words[sexID][wordID])   – get the word from the words table based on ID

[/lua]

#10

Thank you Nick, it works perfectly now.

#11

I may not have understood your post, but try this code to see one way to do it:

-- -- Try this code EXACTLY -- local names1 = {"John", "Steve", "Kris", "Ben"} local names2 = {"Katie", "Susan", "Patricia", "Elizabeth"} for i = 1, 100 do local first = names1[math.random(#names1)] local second = names2[math.random(#names2)] local merged = first .. " " .. second print( i, merged ) end

While the above code will print random selections from both tables, it won’t be an evenly random distribution over the short course.  i.e. If you only iterate 3 times you may get repeats.

IMHO, a Shuffle Bag is really the way to go here.

#12

Thanks for help and sorry for my bad formulated question.

I want to display one random word at a time from “WORDS” table, but I can’t get access for words in those nested  “M” and “F” tables (code below).

The reason why I am doing this instead of one table because I want to assign names for different word categories to be able use them on collision event.

WORDS = { M = {"John", "Steve", "Kris", "Ben"}, F = {"Katie", "Susan", "Patricia", "Elizabeth"} } M.name = M F.name = F
#13 
local random = math.random WORDS = { M = {"John", "Steve", "Kris", "Ben"}, F = {"Katie", "Susan", "Patricia", "Elizabeth"} } print (WORDS.M[random(#WORDS.M)], WORDS.F[random(#WORDS.F)])

I’ve used “#” to get the length of the tables. If you want to access a certain element, you can use:

WORDS.M[1]

Does this work for you?

#14

Thanks, but it prints two words and I need just one from both tables. And It’s looks like there is no way to do this like that.

What if I keep both tables separate and use function witch half a time will take words from one table and other half from another one. Any ideas how to implement it? 

#15

Unless you’re trying to write Call Of Duty in Corona, there is always a way. 

[lua]

local random = math.random

local sexes = {“M”, “F”}

local words = {

M =  {“John”, “Steve”, “Kris”, “Ben”},

F = {“Katie”, “Susan”, “Patricia”, “Elizabeth”}

}

local sexID = sexes[random(#sexes)]  – get whether to use M or F table

local wordID = random(#words[sexID]) – get a random word ID to use from chosen table

print ("WORD IS: "…words[wordID])   – get the word from the words table based on ID

[/lua]

#16

“attempt to concatenate field ‘?’ (a nil value)”? I am getting this error here.

#17

What do you mean by that? It gets one from each table. Don’t you want that?

Also, I have shown you the way to access those table elements. You can always edit the code to your needs.

#18

My mistake. I was missing the part that branches off to the ‘M’ or ‘F’ table in the words table.

[lua]

print ("WORD IS: "…words[sexID][wordID])   – get the word from the words table based on ID

[/lua]

#19

Thank you Nick, it works perfectly now.