Generate unique random numbers between 1 and 100

Question

How can I generate 8, say, unique random numbers between 1 and 100 using JavaScript?

Answer 1

for arrays with holes like this [,2,,4,,6,7,,] because my problem was to fill these holes. So I modified it as per my need :)

the following modified solution worked for me :)

var arr = [,2,,4,,6,7,,]; //example
while(arr.length < 9){
  var randomnumber=Math.floor(Math.random()*9+1);
  var found=false;
  for(var i=0;i<arr.length;i++){
    if(arr[i]==randomnumber){found=true;break;}
  }

  if(!found)
    for(k=0;k<9;k++)
    {if(!arr[k]) //if it's empty  !!MODIFICATION
      {arr[k]=randomnumber; break;}}
}

alert(arr); //outputs on the screen

Answer 2

Same permutation algorithm as The Machine Charmer, but with a prototyped implementation. Better suited to large number of picks. Uses js 1.7 destructuring assignment if available.

// swaps elements at index i and j in array this
// swapping is easy on js 1.7 (feature detection)
Array.prototype.swap = (function () {
    var i=0, j=1;
    try { [i,j]=[j,i]; }
    catch (e) {}
    if(i) {
        return function(i,j) {
            [this[i],this[j]] = [this[j],this[i]];
            return this;
        }
    } else {
        return function(i,j) {
            var temp = this[i];
            this[i] = this[j];
            this[j] = temp;
            return this;
        }
    }
})();


// shuffles array this
Array.prototype.shuffle = function() {
    for(var i=this.length; i>1; i--) {
        this.swap(i-1, Math.floor(i*Math.random()));
    }
    return this;
}

// returns n unique random numbers between min and max
function pick(n, min, max) {
    var a = [], i = max;
    while(i >= min) a.push(i--);
    return a.shuffle().slice(0,n);
}

pick(8,1,100);

Edit: An other proposition, better suited to small number of picks, based on belugabob's answer. To guarantee uniqueness, we remove the picked numbers from the array.

// removes n random elements from array this
// and returns them
Array.prototype.pick = function(n) {
    if(!n || !this.length) return [];
    var i = Math.floor(this.length*Math.random());
    return this.splice(i,1).concat(this.pick(n-1));
}

// returns n unique random numbers between min and max
function pick(n, min, max) {
    var a = [], i = max;
    while(i >= min) a.push(i--);
    return a.pick(n);
}

pick(8,1,100);

Answer 3

if you need more unique you must generate a array(1..100).

var arr=[];
function generateRandoms(){
for(var i=1;i<=100;i++) arr.push(i);
}
function extractUniqueRandom()
{
   if (arr.length==0) generateRandoms();
   var randIndex=Math.floor(arr.length*Math.random());
   var result=arr[randIndex];
   arr.splice(randIndex,1);
   return result;

}
function extractUniqueRandomArray(n)
{
   var resultArr=[];
   for(var i=0;i<n;i++) resultArr.push(extractUniqueRandom());
   return resultArr;
}

above code is faster:
extractUniqueRandomArray(50)=> [2, 79, 38, 59, 63, 42, 52, 22, 78, 50, 39, 77, 1, 88, 40, 23, 48, 84, 91, 49, 4, 54, 93, 36, 100, 82, 62, 41, 89, 12, 24, 31, 86, 92, 64, 75, 70, 61, 67, 98, 76, 80, 56, 90, 83, 44, 43, 47, 7, 53]

Answer 4

You can also do it with a one liner like this:

[...((add, set) => add(set, add))((set, add) => set.size < 8 ? add(set.add(Math.floor(Math.random()*100) + 1), add) : set, new Set())]

Answer 5

Shuffling the numbers from 1 to 100 is the right basic strategy, but if you need only 8 shuffled numbers, there's no need to shuffle all 100 numbers.

I don't know Javascript very well, but I believe it's easy to create an array of 100 nulls quickly. Then, for 8 rounds, you swap the n'th element of the array (n starting at 0) with a randomly selected element from n+1 through 99. Of course, any elements not populated yet mean that the element would really have been the original index plus 1, so that's trivial to factor in. When you're done with the 8 rounds, the first 8 elements of your array will have your 8 shuffled numbers.

Answer 6

I would do this:

function randomInt(min, max) {
    return Math.round(min + Math.random()*(max-min));
}
var index = {}, numbers = [];
for (var i=0; i<8; ++i) {
    var number;
    do {
        number = randomInt(1, 100);
    } while (index.hasOwnProperty("_"+number));
    index["_"+number] = true;
    numbers.push(number);
}
delete index;