Sorting a datatable randomly in vb.net

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New to DataBase. I have a sql server database with one datatable connected to my application. I want the rows of this datatable to be sorted randomly each time the application starts. How do I do that?

[Edit - further detail from OP]
I'm trying to make a quiz. My datatable has four colomns (the first holds a question and the other three hold the answers). So I want the questions to appear in random order each time the game starts. I tried to use bindingsource.sort but it didn't work

Posted 8-May-13 4:28am

al3abby

Updated 8-May-13 5:12am

CHill60

v2

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CHill60 8-May-13 10:32am

"sorted randomly" is an oxymoron - either they come at you in a random fashion or they are sorted - can't be both. What are you actually trying to achieve?

al3abby 8-May-13 11:00am

I'm trying to make a quiz. My datatable has four colomns (the first holds a question and the other three hold the answers). So I want the questions to appear in random order each time the game starts. I tried to use bindingsource.sort but it didn't work

CHill60 8-May-13 11:10am

Ah - now I understand ... I'll get back to you with some thoughts in a moment

2 solutions

Solution 1

My first thought is that you add a column. For each row you generate a random number and populate that column with it. Then sort by that column.

Google Results for Generating a Random Number[^]

Posted 8-May-13 5:13am

Kschuler

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al3abby 8-May-13 11:19am

Thank you Kschuler, I tried that. I wouldn't say it didn't work, but I didn't know how to do it.

Kschuler 8-May-13 11:21am

you tried it, but you didn't know how to do it? What about it were you having trouble with?

Maciej Los 8-May-13 14:44pm

+5

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CHill60 · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-08T05:22:00

Solution 2

Try reading the data with the following SQL

SQL

SELECT TOP 100 percent * FROM [yourtable] ORDER BY newid()

You can change the 100 percent - I just assumed you'd want the entire table.
You could also drop the percent to get e.g. 100 questions.

With acknowledgements to Ralph Shillington[^]

Posted 8-May-13 5:22am

CHill60

Comments

Thomas Daniels 8-May-13 11:27am

+5!

CHill60 8-May-13 11:37am

How are you getting your questions out of the database at the moment?

al3abby 8-May-13 11:52am

After I created the database using sql server management studio, I added it to my project from add new item. Then from the Data Sources window I added a new data source (my table) and I chose the datagridview from the dropdown box and I draged it to my form. Now the questions appear in the order in which I entered them.

CHill60 8-May-13 12:05pm

Ok - you might be better off using a sqldataadaptor to get your data (in code) - you can load the table up into a dataset (using the sql in my solution) and bind that dataset to the datagridview - e.g. in your form load event

al3abby 9-May-13 17:02pm

I got it, thanks

Maciej Los 8-May-13 14:47pm

Read about ADO.NET[^].

Maciej Los 8-May-13 14:44pm

+5