[RESOLVED] Random loading song? AS2/XML

I originally built this in Flash 8, then moved the files over to CS4


Hi, I have a list component where I've loaded song files through xml and everything is working great.

I have now been trying to figure out how to make it play one of the 8 files randomly when it starts playing, instead of it always starting with a specified track (currently track one obviously). So each time a visitor comes to the site it is a different song.

I found a few things on math for AS3 but nothing has worked for this AS2 code that I have tried so far. What am I missing?

PHP Code:

---

this._lockroot = true; 
//make textfields autosize 
album_txt.autoSize = "left"; 
artist_txt.autoSize = "left"; 
title_txt.autoSize = "left"; 
//create sound object 
var songInterval:Number; 
var amountLoaded:Number; 
var mySound:Sound; 
var nextTrack:Number; 

//this will contain all the track details from the xml file 
var tracks_array:Array = new Array(); 
var totalTracks:Number; 

//create the XML object and populate with track details 
var jukebox_xml:XML = new XML(); 
jukebox_xml.ignoreWhite = true; 
var RootNode:XMLNode; 

jukebox_xml.onLoad = function(success:Boolean) { 
    if (success) { 
    RootNode = this.firstChild; 
    totalTracks = RootNode.childNodes.length; 
    populateTracksArray(); 
    } else { 
    trace("error loading xml file"); 
    } 
}; 
jukebox_xml.load("tracks.xml"); 

function populateTracksArray():Void{ 
    for(var i:Number=0; i < totalTracks;i++){ 
        tracks_array[i] = RootNode.childNodes[i]; 
        tracks_array[i].source = RootNode.childNodes[i].attributes.source; 
        tracks_array[i].artist = RootNode.childNodes[i].attributes.artist; 
        tracks_array[i].album = RootNode.childNodes[i].attributes.album; 
        tracks_array[i].title = RootNode.childNodes[i].attributes.title; 
        } 


//play first track  
        playTrack(tracks_array[0].source,tracks_array[0].artist,tracks_array[0].album,tracks_array[0].title,true); 
//populate list component with song titles 
        populateList(); 
} 

function playTrack(source, artist, album, title, stream):Void{ 
        artist_txt.text = artist; 
        album_txt.text = album; 
        title_txt.text = title; 
        mySound = new Sound(); 
         
        mySound.onSoundComplete = function():Void{ 
             
//----LETS NEXT SONG PLAY---------  
    if(continous_comp.selected){ 
            if(list_comp.selectedIndex < (totalTracks -1)){ 
    list_comp.selectedIndex +=1; 
    }else{ 
        list_comp.selectedIndex = 0; 
    } 
    playTrack(tracks_array[list_comp.selectedIndex].source,tracks_array[list_comp.selectedIndex].artist,tracks_array[list_comp.selectedIndex].album,tracks_array[list_comp.selectedIndex].title, true); 
    } 
            } 
     
        mySound.loadSound(source,stream); 
        clearInterval(songInterval); 
        songInterval = setInterval(songProgress,100); 
} 

function populateList():Void{ 
    for(var i:Number=0; i<totalTracks;i++){ 
     list_comp.addItem(tracks_array[i].title,tracks_array[i].source); 
     } 
     _root.list_comp.selectedIndex = 0; 
} 

//--------create a listener for the list component------------ 
var compListener:Object = new Object(); 
list_comp.addEventListener("change", compListener); 

compListener.change = function(info:Object):Void{ 
 playTrack(info.target.value,tracks_array[list_comp.selectedIndex].artist,tracks_array[list_comp.selectedIndex].album,tracks_array[list_comp.selectedIndex].title, true); 
} 


---

here's the AS 2.0 entry for the Math.random method.

gparis

Thanks for the link gparis. I have checked that out and tried to implement it numerous ways but can't seem to get it to connect properly.

And the search continues!

you can use the exact function in that link. since you only want 1 random integer, you don't need the for loop in their example, but the way the function is called still stands.

And in case you don't know that already, since you're going to use that function with an array, the first (min) integer should be 0.

gparis

Thanks for your patience. I can promise you I am trying. So I've made these changes as the latest but to no avail.

Changed:

PHP Code:

---

//play first track          playTrack(tracks_array[0].source,tracks_array[0].artist,tracks_array[0].album,tracks_array[0].title,true); 


---

To:

PHP Code:

---

playTrack(randomNum) 


---

And added this code like you said with the change to 0 instead of 1 for our starting track:

PHP Code:

---

function randRange(min:Number, max:Number):Number {
    var randomNum:Number = Math.floor(Math.random() * (max - min + 0)) + min;
    return randomNum;
} 


---

And the output is coming up as undefined?

I'm totally missing something completely. I haven't been able to find a tutorial online or in any of my books since 8:30am this morning. Not giving up it is just pretty frustrating.

You're not calling the function.. also, you still need to give a range in that randomness ;)

Example online:
var n:Number = randRange(4, 11)

will generate a random number between 4 and 11.

so use that:

var n:Number = randRange(0, thenumberofsongs)
in your case i think thenumberofsongs is totalTracks


Then, replace 0 with n. as in, for example tracks_array[n]


gparis

Thanks so much, I really appreciate you taking your time to help me with this and walk me through it. Really really cool.

So I couldn't get the files to start playing without hard coding the song number - set up like this:

PHP Code:

---

var n:Number = randRange(0, 8);
function randRange(min:Number, max:Number) :Number{
   var randomNum:Number = Math.floor(Math.random() * (max - min + 0)) + min;
return randomNum;
} 


---

And then like you said, changing the 0 starting song out with n
So that entire piece is like this now:

PHP Code:

---

var n:Number = randRange(0, 8);
function randRange(min:Number, max:Number) :Number{
   var randomNum:Number = Math.floor(Math.random() * (max - min + 0)) + min;
return randomNum;
}

function populateTracksArray():Void{
    for(var i:Number=0; i < totalTracks;i++){
        tracks_array[i] = RootNode.childNodes[i];
        tracks_array[i].source = RootNode.childNodes[i].attributes.source;
        tracks_array[i].artist = RootNode.childNodes[i].attributes.artist;
        tracks_array[i].album = RootNode.childNodes[i].attributes.album;
        tracks_array[i].title = RootNode.childNodes[i].attributes.title;
        }

//play first random track  
        playTrack(tracks_array[n].source,tracks_array[i].artist,tracks_array[i].album,tracks_array[i].title,true); 


---

So as I refresh the file the actual song does change and is different but the list component doesn't go to (highlight) the correct song that is playing. It just goes to the first box.

I tried many combinations to see if I could get it to work and ended up with a lot of undefined areas in most cases.

Any insight?

Found it! Thanks to all your help gparis.
To get the highlight to land on the correct track I changed this:

PHP Code:

---

//----LETS NEXT SONG PLAY---------  
    if(continous_comp.selected){
            if(list_comp.selectedIndex < (totalTracks -1)){
    list_comp.selectedIndex +=1;
    }else{
        list_comp.selectedIndex = n;
    }
    playTrack(tracks_array[list_comp.selectedIndex].source,tracks_array[list_comp.selectedIndex].artist,tracks_array[list_comp.selectedIndex].album,tracks_array[list_comp.selectedIndex].title, true);
    }
            }
     
        mySound.loadSound(source,stream);
        clearInterval(songInterval);
        songInterval = setInterval(songProgress,100);
}

function populateList():Void{
    for(var i:Number=0; i<totalTracks;i++){
     list_comp.addItem(tracks_array[i].title,tracks_array[i].source);
     }
     _root.list_comp.selectedIndex = n;
} 


---

I replaced the two 0's with n's.

Thanks again for all your help. I'm still unsure why I couldn't reference
the totalTracks instead of the hard numbers

Is there a way to mark this thread closed or anything?

thread tools > mark thread resolved

gparis

Again thanks for all your help and time.

You website is really cool. Love the dog!