# shuffle

**URL:** <https://forum.xojo.com/t/shuffle/30143>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [March 5, 2016, 5:56am UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/shuffle/30143 "2016-03-05T05:56:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Patrick\_Washabaugh](https://forum.xojo.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@Patrick\_Washabaugh](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Patrick_Washabaugh)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2016, 5:56am UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/shuffle/30143/1 "2016-03-05T05:56:09Z")

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Hello,  
I have a program that reads in a .txt datafile into a structure of  
record  
property name string  
property o variant  
property r variant

I can read the 105 row file nicely using an array like myArray(), by typing in a number and getting the results:Example type in 9, myArray(9).name

I have a sample program that uses the shuffle command and I read that into an array:  
aTest =Array(0,1,2,3,4,5)  
aTest.Shuffle

The program I’m using is able to shuffle the numbers and values without repeats, which I like.

Right now, I read the datafile and store the lines into: myArray with the unshuffled numbers.

I would like to know this:

Is it possible to read the datafile, shuffle or randomize the numbers of the array and then I want to use the newly shuffled numbers in my new array list.

If so, how would I do that?

Thanks for your help,  
Pat

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**Author:** ![Jeff\_Tullin](https://forum.xojo.com/user_avatar/forum.xojo.com/jeff_tullin/32/693_2.png) [@Jeff\_Tullin](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Jeff_Tullin)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2016, 6:11am UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/shuffle/30143/2 "2016-03-05T06:11:19Z")

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Shuffle works on arrays of any data type.  
After you read the data into myArray, just call

```auto
myArray.Shuffle
```

Then myArray(9).name will not be the one it was after you read from the file

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**Author:** ![Kem\_Tekinay](https://forum.xojo.com/user_avatar/forum.xojo.com/kem_tekinay/32/154_2.png) [@Kem\_Tekinay](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Kem_Tekinay)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2016, 6:16am UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/shuffle/30143/3 "2016-03-05T06:16:16Z")

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What Jeff said, although I’d change that to, “myArray(9) probably will not be the one it was…” There is no telling after the shuffle.

Or are you looking for something like a “ShuffleWith” method where an array is shuffled but keeps one or more other arrays in sync? If so, create syncArray1, syncArray2, …, then create indexArray() As Integer that holds the values 0 to syncArray1.Ubound. Then do something like this:

```auto
indexArray.Shuffle
indexArray.SortWith syncArray1, syncArray2, …
```

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**Author:** ![Patrick\_Washabaugh](https://forum.xojo.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@Patrick\_Washabaugh](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Patrick_Washabaugh)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/shuffle/30143/4 "2016-03-05T19:27:45Z")

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Thanks for the help. I went to my program and went to the area right after I read the datafile into myArray. I put in the command: myArray.shuffle

This works great. every time I run the program now, it randomizes the numbers so it it never the same.

Thanks again,  
Pat

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://forum.xojo.com/uploads/default/original/1X/455b4dcc0e61630e9f81940004ddffa49c432a46.png) [@system](https://forum.xojo.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 6:12pm UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/shuffle/30143/5 "2020-10-29T18:12:59Z")

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