# Random non repeating variables
**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/random-non-repeating-variables/184339
**Category:** flash
**Created:** [April 4, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/random-non-repeating-variables/184339 "2006-04-04T13:41:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@greendog](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/greendog)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/random-non-repeating-variables/184339/1 "2006-04-04T13:41:41Z")
OK I’m somewhat descent at Actionscript, but I’m brand new to arrays. I know very little about them. It seems at the moment I’m going to have to make use of them.
Here’s what I’m doing:
I’m creating a flash game in which you are a UFO flying over a group of cows and you have to abduct them. It’s a top view game so I have the grass moving from top to bottom and I have a movie with 5 cows and theres a controller in the \_root movie that creates a random variable:
\_root.cows = random(5);
Now everytime the controller movie gets to a certain frame, that frame tells the cow movie to play a certain cow (Moving from top to bottom) based on the current variable.
What’s happening is when there is a repeat, the cow disapears and jumps back to the top. Seeing how there’s only 5 cows you can tell this happens a lot.
Now I’ve researched this a bit and found that I can create an array of random numbers and splice each one as I’ve used it. I’ve tried this, copied different codes and I can’t get it to work.
I’m probably placing it wrong or something, but being a man who is used to his variables, maybe I’m doing something the wrong way. Please explain, if anyone can, how I can do this…and if possible explain as if talking to a third grader. 😃 thanks
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### Author:  [@stringy](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/stringy)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/random-non-repeating-variables/184339/2 "2006-04-04T15:10:33Z")
> [@greendog](#):
>
> OK I’m somewhat descent at Actionscript, but I’m brand new to arrays. I know very little about them. It seems at the moment I’m going to have to make use of them.
> Here’s what I’m doing:
> I’m creating a flash game in which you are a UFO flying over a group of cows and you have to abduct them. It’s a top view game so I have the grass moving from top to bottom and I have a movie with 5 cows and theres a controller in the \_root movie that creates a random variable:
> \_root.cows = random(5);
> Now everytime the controller movie gets to a certain frame, that frame tells the cow movie to play a certain cow (Moving from top to bottom) based on the current variable.
> What’s happening is when there is a repeat, the cow disapears and jumps back to the top. Seeing how there’s only 5 cows you can tell this happens a lot.
>
> Now I’ve researched this a bit and found that I can create an array of random numbers and splice each one as I’ve used it. I’ve tried this, copied different codes and I can’t get it to work.
> I’m probably placing it wrong or something, but being a man who is used to his variables, maybe I’m doing something the wrong way. Please explain, if anyone can, how I can do this…and if possible explain as if talking to a third grader. 😃 thanks
see if this helps
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>
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Another way is to shuffle the array and then loop through it in order
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### Author:  [@greendog](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/greendog)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/random-non-repeating-variables/184339/3 "2006-04-04T17:12:20Z")
> [@stringy](#):
>
> see if this helps
> [http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=214484](http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=214484)
> Another way is to shuffle the array and then loop through it in order
I’m sorry
I’m lost