generating random numbers in a 5x5 array.

[acidacid]

hello. :]

so, I've been trying to figure out for the longest time how to generate numbers in my 5x5 matrices without having the numbers repeat themselves more than once.

Code:

  void Card() {
    salida = "";
    salida2 = "";

    for (i = 0; i <= 4; i++) {
      for (j = 0; j <= 4; j++) {
        card1[i][j] = 1 + (int) (Math.random() * 99);
        if (card1[i][j] <= 9) {
          cadena = "0" + card1[i][j];
        }
        else {
          cadena = "" + card1[i][j];
        }
        salida = salida + " " + cadena;
        if (j == 4) {
          salida = salida + "\n";
        }
      }
    }

    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, salida, "Card 1",
                                  JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);
}

this what I have for the array. I've had plenty more, but I tried to many different methods to solve my problem, and none of it really helped. your help would be greatly appreciated. :]

oh and I apologize about the spanish variables, but i'm still sure the code still is understandable. :]

[dmacvittie]

Since this all looks okay, I presume it is the non-repeating part you're struggling with?

The best solution to that problem AFAIK is brute force - write a method that loops through the list and returns true if it is a duplicate or false if not. put that routine and the generation of the next random into a loop until it returns false, and only then assign the value into the array.

Code:

boolean isDuplicate = true;
while(isDuplicate) {
  card[i][j]=1 + (int) (Math.random() *99);
  isDuplicate = checkDuplicate(card1, i, j);
}

Then the isDuplicate method has to walk the array and compare the element at i,j with everything until it either finds a match (returning true) or runs out of elements (returning false).

No worries about variable names . I don't apologize for making you read them in English, you shouldn't for returning the favor.

Hope that helps,
Don.

[acidacid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmacvittie

Code:

boolean isDuplicate = true;
while(isDuplicate) {
  card[i][j]=1 + (int) (Math.random() *99);
  isDuplicate = checkDuplicate(card1, i, j);
}

umm... checkDuplicate is giving me a "cannot resolve symbol." is there any way I can initialize it or declare it as a variable or something? : D

other than that I understood everything perfectly, and I thank you very much for the help you provided. <333

[dmacvittie]

You have to write it, just iterate through the array and look for a match with the new number.

Don.