choosing random array to print to screen

[debugdoug]

This is most likely relatively simple. And there is probably a better way to do what I am doing. I have 2 arrays that I have cast random numbers into. I only want to display the results from 1 of the arrays randomly selected. Eventually I will have more arrays at variable lengths, but doing it with 2 will show me how to use it in a larger scope.

import java.util.Random;

public class test{

	public static void main(String[] args){

		//”test and test2” are pointers.
		int[] test = {1, 2, 3, 4};
		int[] test2 = {1,2,3};
		Random rand = new Random();
	    
	    for (int x=0;x<test.length;x++){
	    	test[x] = -1000 + rand.nextInt(999 - -1000 + 1); 
	    	System.out.println(test[x]);
	    }

	    for (int x=0;x<test2.length;x++){
	    	test2[x] = -1000 + rand.nextInt(999 - -1000 + 1); 
	    	System.out.println(test2[x]);
	    }
	}
}

I would just like to know how to randomly select 1 of the arrays and print it.

Thank you.

[sunde887]

You can do a random number and if it's greater than x, print array 1, if it's less than, print array y. A better way would probably to store the arrays in an array and randomly index into the first part of the array.

int[][] array = new int[2][5];
//array initializing
print array[random];

[pbrockway2]

Well, you could say

// at end of main()
int[] toDisplay;
if(/*some 'randomly' true condition*/) {
    toDisplay = test;
} else {
    toDisplay = test2;
}
// now display the array toDisplay...

The boolean condition is obtained from a random process: like rand.nextInt(2)<1. (a "coin").

Notice that nothing is copied here. The value of test (or test2) is a reference to the array and this reference is assigned to a new variable. SO, from that point of view, it is straightforward.

The problem - of course! - is that it won't scale as you would like.

So... Arrange things so that your arrays are, themselves, elements of an array! Then choose the index of this outer array at random. (If you haven't encountered them, find out about 2 - or multi - dimensional arrays.)

[debugdoug]

I must admit that I am having trouble getting the arrays stored as array values themselves. Can someone get me pointed in the right direction. I have been researching multidimension arrays but cannot figure how to cast the array into an array.

[debugdoug]

I got this figured out. Here is how I did it.

I did this for each row of my multidimmensional array.

for (int x=0;x<myArray[0].length;x++){
	    	myArray[0][x] = -1000 + rand.nextInt(999 - -1000 + 1); 
	    }

Thanks.