Random loading song? AS2/XML/FlashCS4

[cr_sa]

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?

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); 
}

It is very easy to generate random numbers in AS2.

#
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
#
[B]k=random(8);
playTrack(tracks_array[k].source,tracks_array[k].artist,tracks_array[k].album,tracks_array[k].title,true);
[/B]#
//populate list component with song titles
#
populateList();
#
}

Hope this helps!

[cr_sa]

I really appreciate your help with this rajarjan07. I came to an answer thanks to some help I had with another really nice person like yourself (gparis at Flashkit) by using code like this:

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); 


//----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;
}

Is there anything I could change to make it a little cleaner or better do you think?

It is very easy to generate random numbers in AS2.

#
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
#
[B]k=random(8);
playTrack(tracks_array[k].source,tracks_array[k].artist,tracks_array[k].album,tracks_array[k].title,true);
[/B]#
//populate list component with song titles
#
populateList();
#
}

Hope this helps!