How to Use srand() and array_rand() in PHP to Randomly Select Elements from an Array?

<span><span><span class="hljs-meta">&lt;?php</span></span><span>
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<p></span><?php<br>
/*<br>
Title: How to Use srand() and array_rand() in PHP to Randomly Select Elements from an Array?<br>
*/</p>
<p>// In PHP, if you want to randomly select one or more elements from an array, you can use the array_rand() function.<br>
// The srand() function is used to set the seed for the random number generator, making the sequence predictable (useful for debugging).</p>
<p>// 1. Example array<br>
$fruits = ["Apple", "Banana", "Orange", "Grape", "Watermelon"];</p>
<p>// 2. Use srand() to set the random seed<br>
srand(123); // The seed can be any integer; the same seed generates the same random sequence</p>
<p>// 3. Use array_rand() to get a random key<br>
$randomKey = array_rand($fruits);<br>
echo "The randomly selected fruit is: " . $fruits[$randomKey] . "\n";</p>
<p>// 4. If you want to select multiple elements<br>
$randomKeys = array_rand($fruits, 3); // Select 3 random elements<br>
echo "The three randomly selected fruits are: ";<br>
foreach ($randomKeys as </span>$key) {<br>
echo $fruits[$key] . " ";<br>
}<br>
echo "\n";</p>
<p>// Notes:<br>
// - array_rand() returns the array key, not the value itself.<br>
// - If the array is very large or stronger randomness is needed, PHP 7.1+ also provides random_int() or array_rand() combined with shuffle().<br>
// - srand() is not mandatory, PHP automatically generates a random seed, but it can be useful during debugging or testing to ensure repeatable results.</p>
<p data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="">// Summary:<br>
// Using srand() allows control over the repeatability of random number generation, while array_rand() makes it easy to pick random elements from an array.<br>
// Together, they provide stable and predictable random results in debugging or testing scenarios.<br>
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