Fetch a Random Database Entry with CakePHP

CakePHP's `findAll()` function can be used to fetch one or more random entries from a database.

Tagged with CakePHP and Web Development
Posted on 27/11/06 by Paul Herron

To achieve this, all we need to do is order our retrieved records randomly. We can do that by inserting the rand() function in the $order field.

To take only a certain number of these randomised entries, we can use the $limit parameter. This is set to 1 in the example below.

// This statement queries a Testimonial model for one random entry. 
$this->Testimonial->findAll(null,null,'rand()',1,null,null);

Comments

AD7six wrote on 16/7/07:

You'll get headaches doing that with a none-trivial sized table ;), order by rand is the best way to tie up the db calculating random numbers.

Better to return a random result from an ordered resultset. In words:

* get the number of rows (a findCount)

* select a random number between 1 and the max

* find page (random) showing 1 result per 'page'

Cheers,

Ps. I agree with everyone regarding the site design :)

richard wrote on 2/10/08:

thanks. i thought i have to use like this rand(Profile.id) to get random record. a simple rand() works.

Bharat wrote on 20/5/09:

Yes that wotked perfectly.. Thnks Dear

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