(PHP 4, PHP 5, PHP 7)
array_rand — Pick one or more random keys out of an array
array_rand ( array $array [, int $num = 1 ] ) : int|string|array
Picks one or more random entries out of an array, and returns the key (or keys) of the random entries. It uses a pseudo random number generator that is not suitable for cryptographic purposes.
array
The input array.
num
Specifies how many entries should be picked.
When picking only one entry, array_rand() returns the key for a random entry. Otherwise, an array of keys for the random entries is returned. This is done so that random keys can be picked from the array as well as random values. If multiple keys are returned, they will be returned in the order they were present in the original array. Trying to pick more elements than there are in the array will result in an E_WARNING level error, and NULL will be returned.
| Version | Description |
|---|---|
| 7.1.0 | The internal randomization algorithm has been changed to use the » Mersenne Twister Random Number Generator instead of the libc rand function. |
Example #1 array_rand() example
<?php
$input = array("Neo", "Morpheus", "Trinity", "Cypher", "Tank");
$rand_keys = array_rand($input, 2);
echo $input[$rand_keys[0]] . "\n";
echo $input[$rand_keys[1]] . "\n";
?>
© 1997–2020 The PHP Documentation Group
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License v3.0 or later.
https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.array-rand.php