Pick a random element from an array

Question

Suppose I have an array and I want to pick one element at random.

What would be the simplest way to do this?

The obvious way would be array[random index]. But perhaps there is something like ruby's array.sample? Or if not could such a method be created by using an extension?

Answer 1

Another Swift 3 suggestion

private extension Array {
    var randomElement: Element {
        let index = Int(arc4random_uniform(UInt32(count)))
        return self[index]
    }
}

Answer 2

Swift 3

import GameKit

func getRandomMessage() -> String {

    let messages = ["one", "two", "three"]

    let randomNumber = GKRandomSource.sharedRandom().nextInt(upperBound: messages.count)

    return messages[randomNumber].description

}

Answer 3

In Swift 2.2 this can be generalised so that we have:

UInt.random
UInt8.random
UInt16.random
UInt32.random
UInt64.random
UIntMax.random

// closed intervals:

(-3...3).random
(Int.min...Int.max).random

// and collections, which return optionals since they can be empty:

(1..<4).sample
[1,2,3].sample
"abc".characters.sample
["a": 1, "b": 2, "c": 3].sample

First, implementing static random property for UnsignedIntegerTypes:

import Darwin

func sizeof <T> (_: () -> T) -> Int { // sizeof return type without calling
    return sizeof(T.self)
}

let ARC4Foot: Int = sizeof(arc4random)

extension UnsignedIntegerType {
    static var max: Self { // sadly `max` is not required by the protocol
        return ~0
    }
    static var random: Self {
        let foot = sizeof(Self)
        guard foot > ARC4Foot else {
            return numericCast(arc4random() & numericCast(max))
        }
        var r = UIntMax(arc4random())
        for i in 1..<(foot / ARC4Foot) {
            r |= UIntMax(arc4random()) << UIntMax(8 * ARC4Foot * i)
        }
        return numericCast(r)
    }
}

Then, for ClosedIntervals with UnsignedIntegerType bounds:

extension ClosedInterval where Bound : UnsignedIntegerType {
    var random: Bound {
        guard start > 0 || end < Bound.max else { return Bound.random }
        return start + (Bound.random % (end - start + 1))
    }
}

Then (a little more involved), for ClosedIntervals with SignedIntegerType bounds (using helper methods described further below):

extension ClosedInterval where Bound : SignedIntegerType {
    var random: Bound {
        let foot = sizeof(Bound)
        let distance = start.unsignedDistanceTo(end)
        guard foot > 4 else { // optimisation: use UInt32.random if sufficient
            let off: UInt32
            if distance < numericCast(UInt32.max) {
                off = UInt32.random % numericCast(distance + 1)
            } else {
                off = UInt32.random
            }
            return numericCast(start.toIntMax() + numericCast(off))
        }
        guard distance < UIntMax.max else {
            return numericCast(IntMax(bitPattern: UIntMax.random))
        }
        let off = UIntMax.random % (distance + 1)
        let x = (off + start.unsignedDistanceFromMin).plusMinIntMax
        return numericCast(x)
    }
}

... where unsignedDistanceTo, unsignedDistanceFromMin and plusMinIntMax helper methods can be implemented as follows:

extension SignedIntegerType {
    func unsignedDistanceTo(other: Self) -> UIntMax {
        let _self = self.toIntMax()
        let other = other.toIntMax()
        let (start, end) = _self < other ? (_self, other) : (other, _self)
        if start == IntMax.min && end == IntMax.max {
            return UIntMax.max
        }
        if start < 0 && end >= 0 {
            let s = start == IntMax.min ? UIntMax(Int.max) + 1 : UIntMax(-start)
            return s + UIntMax(end)
        }
        return UIntMax(end - start)
    }
    var unsignedDistanceFromMin: UIntMax {
        return IntMax.min.unsignedDistanceTo(self.toIntMax())
    }
}

extension UIntMax {
    var plusMinIntMax: IntMax {
        if self > UIntMax(IntMax.max) { return IntMax(self - UIntMax(IntMax.max) - 1) }
        else { return IntMax.min + IntMax(self) }
    }
}

Finally, for all collections where Index.Distance == Int:

extension CollectionType where Index.Distance == Int {
    var sample: Generator.Element? {
        if isEmpty { return nil }
        let end = UInt(count) - 1
        let add = (0...end).random
        let idx = startIndex.advancedBy(Int(add))
        return self[idx]
    }
}

... which can be optimised a little for integer Ranges:

extension Range where Element : SignedIntegerType {
    var sample: Element? {
        guard startIndex < endIndex else { return nil }
        let i: ClosedInterval = startIndex...endIndex.predecessor()
        return i.random
    }
}

extension Range where Element : UnsignedIntegerType {
    var sample: Element? {
        guard startIndex < endIndex else { return nil }
        let i: ClosedInterval = startIndex...endIndex.predecessor()
        return i.random
    }
}

Answer 4

Swift 4.2 and above

The new recommended approach is a built-in method: randomElement(). It returns an optional to avoid the empty case I assumed against previously.

let array = ["Frodo", "Sam", "Wise", "Gamgee"]
print(array.randomElement()!) // Using ! knowing I have array.count > 0

If you don't create the array and aren't guaranteed count > 0, you should do something like:

if let randomElement = array.randomElement() { 
    print(randomElement)
}

Swift 4.1 and below

Just to answer your question, you can do this to achieve random array selection:

let array = ["Frodo", "sam", "wise", "gamgee"]
let randomIndex = Int(arc4random_uniform(UInt32(array.count)))
print(array[randomIndex])

The castings are ugly, but I believe they're required unless someone else has another way.

Answer 5

I find using GameKit's GKRandomSource.sharedRandom() works best for me.

import GameKit

let array = ["random1", "random2", "random3"]

func getRandomIndex() -> Int {
    let randomNumber = GKRandomSource.sharedRandom().nextIntWithUpperBound(array.count)
    return randomNumber

or you could return the object at the random index selected. Make sure the function returns a String first, and then return the index of the array.

    return array[randomNumber]

Short and to the point.

Answer 6

Riffing on what Lucas said, you could create an extension to the Array class like this:

extension Array {
    func randomItem() -> Element? {
        if isEmpty { return nil }
        let index = Int(arc4random_uniform(UInt32(self.count)))
        return self[index]
    }
}

For example:

let myArray = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16]
let myItem = myArray.randomItem() // Note: myItem is an Optional<Int>