How do I print a random value from a table

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#1

The title speaks for itself, how would I print a value from the table ( 1 to be exact ) that is random?

#2

You can simply generate a random number that’s between 1 and your table length. You can get the tables length by doing #TABLEHERE. Then, to return the random value simply do TABLEHERE[randomVal]. It should look like this:

local num = math.random(1, #TABLEHERE)
print(TABLEHERE[num])
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#3

Generate a random number between 1 and the number of occupied indices in the table (the amount of values in the table) and then index the table with that random number:

local value = tbl[math.random(#tbl)]
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#4 
local table = ["value 1", "random"]

print(table[math.random(0, #table)])
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#5

confusion, how does num’s parent automatically == TABLEHERE

#6

Is their a way I can do this without having to make a new value/variable?

#7

Table[int] returns the value correspondent to that index.

#8

Why did I get this error?

  13:19:32.982  Players.NubblyFry.PlayerGui.ScreenGui.TextButton.LocalScript:14: invalid argument #2 to 'random' (interval is empty)  -  Client - LocalScript:14
  13:19:32.983  Stack Begin  -  Studio
  13:19:32.984  Script 'Players.NubblyFry.PlayerGui.ScreenGui.TextButton.LocalScript', Line 14  -  Studio - LocalScript:14
  13:19:32.984  Stack End  -  Studio

local part = game.Workspace:WaitForChild("Part")

local colorTable = {
	Red = Color3.new(1,0,0);
	Orange = Color3.new(1, 0.666667, 0);
	Yellow = Color3.new(1,2,0);
	Green = Color3.new(0.682353, 1, 0.435294);
	Blue = Color3.new(0.458824, 0.556863, 1);
	Purple = Color3.new(0.635294, 0, 1);
	Pink = Color3.new(1, 0.333333, 0.498039)
}

script.Parent.MouseButton1Click:Connect(function()
	part.Color = Color3.new(colorTable[math.random(1,#colorTable)])
end)
#9

This happens because the table is a dictionary, not an array.

Just do:

local part = game.Workspace:WaitForChild("Part")

local colorTable = {
    Color3.new(1,0,0);
	Color3.new(1, 0.666667, 0);
	Color3.new(1,2,0);
	Color3.new(0.682353, 1, 0.435294);
	Color3.new(0.458824, 0.556863, 1);
	Color3.new(0.635294, 0, 1);
	Color3.new(1, 0.333333, 0.498039)
}

script.Parent.MouseButton1Click:Connect(function()
	part.Color = colorTable[math.random(1,#colorTable)]
end)
1 Like
#10

is their a nicer way for me to layout tables then? I didn’t know that was a dictionary.

#11

@greipster Lua array indices start at 1, in contrast with many other languages

@StarJ3M In response to your reply to my post, you don’t necessarily need to make it a variable, you can just print it:

print( tbl[math.random(#tbl)] )

In response to the issue you had with the error, the length operator (#) does not account for values that are non-numerically indexed (values that do not have an index that is a number), so to solve this, the table would need to be an array, like @Sarchyx mentioned, which inherently have all of the values numerically indexed

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#12

when people refer to arrays or matrices they mean the key/index is a number

so if you know that information, you can tell if it is a dictionary or not

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#13 
local table1={1,2,3}
print(math.random[0,#table1])

Output will be random 1,2, or 3
#14 
  13:31:03.998  Players.NubblyFry.PlayerGui.ScreenGui.TextButton.LocalScript:6: invalid argument #2 to 'random' (interval is empty)  -  Client - LocalScript:6
  13:31:03.999  Stack Begin  -  Studio
  13:31:04.000  Script 'Players.NubblyFry.PlayerGui.ScreenGui.TextButton.LocalScript', Line 6  -  Studio - LocalScript:6
  13:31:04.001  Stack End  -  Studio

local part = game.Workspace:WaitForChild("Part")

local colorTable = {Red = Color3.new(1,0,0), Orange = Color3.new(1, 0.666667, 0), Yellow = Color3.new(1,2,0), Green = Color3.new(0.682353, 1, 0.435294), Blue = Color3.new(0.458824, 0.556863, 1),	Purple = Color3.new(0.635294, 0, 1), Pink = Color3.new(1, 0.333333, 0.498039)}

script.Parent.MouseButton1Click:Connect(function()
	part.Color = colorTable[math.random(1,#colorTable)]
end)
#15

why did you put a 0 there
this is lua lmao

1 Like
#16

Dictionaries are tables that have “names” with a value, to use index numbers you will need to remove those “names” and leave the values so it can be an array as I told at post #8.

#17

Yeah I was typing on touch screen. It is supposed to be a 1

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