Need help with random string arrays

Question

Hi, I could really use some specific advice about how to randomize and display strings. I'm trying to create an applet that displays a list of 12 chores and a list of four people for whom the chores should be distributed to. So far I have set up the code to display the chores list in the first column and what I'm tring to do is then randomly assign each persons name 3 times in the second column. I'm not getting any error messages but the problem is that I can't seem to get the names to appear only 3 times.
// Random generator = new Random();
// JButton assignChores = new Button("Assign Chores")'
// JTextArea outputArea = new JTextArea("");
// ect....
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
String[] chores = {"Living Room",
"Dining Room",
"Kitchen",
"Boy's Room",
"Garbage",
"Backyard",
"Pets",
"Front Bathroom",
"Back Bathroom",
"Laundry",
"Computer Room",
"Parent's Room"};
String[] person = {"Mom",
"Dad",
"Son",
"Daughter"};
int[] numIndex = new int[13];
String output = "Chores" + "\t" + "Person";
output += "\n________________________________\n";
// I feel relatively certain that a while statement should go
// here but I'm lost as to how I should go about this.
for (int i = 1; i < numIndex.length; i++) {
int arrayIndex = generator.nextInt(person.length); // generate a random number based on the number of people
output += "\n" + chores[numIndex[0]++] // display the chores list in column 1
+ "\t" + person[arrayIndex]; // then randomly display the names in column 2
output += "\n________________________________\n";
outputArea.setText(output);
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog (null, outputArea,
"Chores List", JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);
System.exit(0);

Answer 1

Hi,
Here's even a more elegant twist on the problem.
import java.util.*;
class FamilyMember
  private String name;
  private ArrayList chores;
  private final int MAX_CHORES = 3;
  public FamilyMember( String name )
    this( name, null );
  public FamilyMember( String name, Collection chores )
    this.name = name;
    setChores( chores );
  public String getName()
    return( name );
  public Collection getChores()
    return( chores );
  private void initArray()
    if( chores == null )
      chores = new ArrayList();
  public void setChores( Collection newChores )
    if( newChores != null )
      initArray();
      if( newChores.size() <= MAX_CHORES )
        Iterator it = newChores.iterator();
        while( it.hasNext() )
          chores.add( it.next() );
  public boolean addChore( String newChore )
    boolean outBool = false;
    initArray();
    if( chores.size() < MAX_CHORES )
      chores.add( newChore );
      outBool = true;
    return( outBool );
  public void setName( String newName )
    name = newName;
class Chore
  private String name;
  private boolean assigned;
  public Chore( String name )
    this.name = name;
  public String getName()
    return( name );
  public void setName()
    this.name = name;
  public void setAssigned( boolean newAssigned )
    assigned = newAssigned;
  public boolean isAssigned()
    return( assigned );
public class ChoreLister
  public static void main(String[] args)
    Chore[] chores = { new Chore( "Living Room" ),
                       new Chore( "Dining Room" ),
                       new Chore( "Kitchen" ),
                       new Chore( "Boy's Room" ),
                       new Chore( "Garbage" ),
                       new Chore( "Backyard" ),
                       new Chore( "Pets" ),
                       new Chore( "Front Bathroom" ),
                       new Chore( "Back Bathroom" ),
                       new Chore( "Laundry" ),
                       new Chore( "Computer Room" ),
                       new Chore( "Parent's Room" ) };
    FamilyMember[] fm = { new FamilyMember( "Mom" ),
                          new FamilyMember( "Dad" ),
                          new FamilyMember( "Son" ),
                          new FamilyMember( "Daughter" ) };
    Random generator = new Random();
    System.out.println( "Chores\tPerson" );
    System.out.println( "________________________________" );
    // Loop through all chores assigning them as we go.
    for( int j = 0; j < chores.length; ++j )
      int arrayIndex = generator.nextInt( fm.length );
      while( !chores[j].isAssigned() )
        while( !fm[arrayIndex].addChore( chores[j].getName() ) )
          arrayIndex = generator.nextInt( fm.length );
        chores[j].setAssigned( true );
      System.out.print( chores[j].getName() + "\t" );
      if( chores[j].getName().length() < 8 )
        System.out.print( "\t" );
      System.out.println( fm[arrayIndex].getName() );
    System.out.println( "________________________________" );
}Enjoy,
Manfred.