Comments on: High Tech Gift Exchange With PHP http://aarronwalter.com/2006/09/27/high-tech-gift-exchange-with-php/ Sun, 23 Nov 2008 12:34:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Corinne http://aarronwalter.com/2006/09/27/high-tech-gift-exchange-with-php/#comment-57 Corinne Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:58:46 +0000 http://www.aarronwalter.com/2006/09/27/high-tech-gift-exchange-with-php/#comment-57 Wow, thanks for the quick reply! That worked, Merry Christmas to you as well! Wow, thanks for the quick reply! That worked, Merry Christmas to you as well!

]]> By: Aarron http://aarronwalter.com/2006/09/27/high-tech-gift-exchange-with-php/#comment-56 Aarron Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:45:38 +0000 http://www.aarronwalter.com/2006/09/27/high-tech-gift-exchange-with-php/#comment-56 Corinne, Probably what is causing this problem is the for loop. If you have 9 people, the for loop will look like this: for($i=0;$i<9;$i++){ $pull = rand(0,8); while(in_array($pull,$drawn) or $i==$pull){ $pull = rand(0,8); } array_push($drawn,$pull); etc ... The for loop needs to have $i set to the exact number of participants int eh gift exchange, and the random draw is one less than the total, because the array indexing starts at 0, so 9 people would each be assigned a number from 0 to 8 (9 numbers). Hope that makes sense. A better way to do this would be to avoid hard-coding the number of participants, and having the script just count them for you. Here is what that might look like: for($i=0;$i<count($names);$i++){ $pull = rand(0,(count($names)-1)); while(in_array($pull,$drawn) or $i==$pull){ $pull = rand(0,(count($names)-1)); } array_push($drawn,$pull); etc ... Good luck, and Merry early Christmas! Corinne,

Probably what is causing this problem is the for loop. If you have 9 people, the for loop will look like this:

for($i=0;$i<9;$i++){

$pull = rand(0,8);
while(in_array($pull,$drawn) or $i==$pull){ $pull = rand(0,8); }
array_push($drawn,$pull);

etc …

The for loop needs to have $i set to the exact number of participants int eh gift exchange, and the random draw is one less than the total, because the array indexing starts at 0, so 9 people would each be assigned a number from 0 to 8 (9 numbers). Hope that makes sense.

A better way to do this would be to avoid hard-coding the number of participants, and having the script just count them for you. Here is what that might look like:

for($i=0;$i

$pull = rand(0,(count($names)-1));
while(in_array($pull,$drawn) or $i==$pull){ $pull = rand(0,(count($names)-1)); }
array_push($drawn,$pull);

etc …

Good luck, and Merry early Christmas!

]]> By: Corinne http://aarronwalter.com/2006/09/27/high-tech-gift-exchange-with-php/#comment-55 Corinne Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:35:11 +0000 http://www.aarronwalter.com/2006/09/27/high-tech-gift-exchange-with-php/#comment-55 This is great, I'm attempting to use it. The only problem is, each time I almost always get one email that is blank for the name selection. I have 9 people; might this have something to do with it? I did change it to (0,8) in the $pull line, but it's still happening... TIA. This is great, I’m attempting to use it. The only problem is, each time I almost always get one email that is blank for the name selection. I have 9 people; might this have something to do with it? I did change it to (0,8) in the $pull line, but it’s still happening…

TIA.

]]> By: Aarron http://aarronwalter.com/2006/09/27/high-tech-gift-exchange-with-php/#comment-23 Aarron Wed, 18 Oct 2006 11:12:02 +0000 http://www.aarronwalter.com/2006/09/27/high-tech-gift-exchange-with-php/#comment-23 Christopher, You can add a conditional statements in the while loop to prevent drawing a name in a condition you do not want. It could be hard coded in or use another series of parallel arrays to match up people that can not draw eachother's name. Christopher,
You can add a conditional statements in the while loop to prevent drawing a name in a condition you do not want. It could be hard coded in or use another series of parallel arrays to match up people that can not draw eachother’s name.

]]> By: Christopher http://aarronwalter.com/2006/09/27/high-tech-gift-exchange-with-php/#comment-22 Christopher Wed, 18 Oct 2006 06:39:00 +0000 http://www.aarronwalter.com/2006/09/27/high-tech-gift-exchange-with-php/#comment-22 Almost what I'm looking for. However, there are certain people that I don't want paired up. For example, I am already going to give my wife a present so I don't want to be matched with her. Almost what I’m looking for. However, there are certain people that I don’t want paired up. For example, I am already going to give my wife a present so I don’t want to be matched with her.

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