Can you provide steps on loading JSON data into a JavaScript web application and then randomly selecting a word from it?

Question

Can you provide steps on loading JSON data into a JavaScript web application and then randomly selecting a word from it?

I have a text file called words.json with a long list of words, organized in alphabetical and length order.

The structure looks like this:

{"3":["ace","act","add","ado","ads"], "4":[...], ...}

(I have used ellipsis for brevity)

How do I go about loading the JSON data onto the webpage and randomly selecting a word from the list?Do I need to use jQuery for this task? What should my function look like?

Appreciate your help!

javascript json

Answer 1

Answer №1

One way to approach this is by implementing a random word selection function like the following:

function getRandomWord(jsonStringListOfWords) {
    var words = JSON.parse(jsonListOfWords);

    var MAX_LENGTH = Object.keys(words).length;
    var wordLength = Math.floor(Math.random() * MAX_LENGTH) + 1;
    var wordIndex = Math.floor(Math.random() * words[wordLength].length) + 1;

    return words[wordLength][wordIndex];
}

This method randomly determines the length of the word first, then selects a word from the list that matches that length. However, it may not produce an even distribution among all words with various lengths.

Alternatively, here's an algorithm that ensures an equal chance for each word regardless of its length:

function getRandomWordEvenDistribution(jsonStringListOfWords) {
    var words = JSON.parse(jsonListOfWords);

    var numWords = 0;
    for (var x in words) {
        numWords += words[x].length;
    }

    var wordIndex = Math.floor(Math.random() * numWords);

    for (var x in words) {
        if (wordIndex >= words[x].length) {
            wordIndex -= words[x].length;
        } else {
            return words[x][wordIndex];
        }
    }
}

To load the JSON data, you can consider using jQuery's $.getJSON() method, which facilitates fetching JSON content from your server.

Answer 2

One way to approach this is by implementing a random word selection function like the following:

function getRandomWord(jsonStringListOfWords) {
    var words = JSON.parse(jsonListOfWords);

    var MAX_LENGTH = Object.keys(words).length;
    var wordLength = Math.floor(Math.random() * MAX_LENGTH) + 1;
    var wordIndex = Math.floor(Math.random() * words[wordLength].length) + 1;

    return words[wordLength][wordIndex];
}

This method randomly determines the length of the word first, then selects a word from the list that matches that length. However, it may not produce an even distribution among all words with various lengths.

Alternatively, here's an algorithm that ensures an equal chance for each word regardless of its length:

function getRandomWordEvenDistribution(jsonStringListOfWords) {
    var words = JSON.parse(jsonListOfWords);

    var numWords = 0;
    for (var x in words) {
        numWords += words[x].length;
    }

    var wordIndex = Math.floor(Math.random() * numWords);

    for (var x in words) {
        if (wordIndex >= words[x].length) {
            wordIndex -= words[x].length;
        } else {
            return words[x][wordIndex];
        }
    }
}

To load the JSON data, you can consider using jQuery's $.getJSON() method, which facilitates fetching JSON content from your server.

Answer 3

Answer №2

I successfully implemented Mash's algorithm by making two minor adjustments to it and updating the answer accordingly. You are correct in pointing out that using getJSON with jQuery makes JSON.parse unnecessary. You can see the code running on JSBin:

var words = (function() {
    var wordList, numWords;

    return  {
        load: function(data) {
            wordList = data;
            numWords = 0;
            for (var x in wordList) {
                numWords += wordList[x].length;
            }
            words.random = function() {
                var wordIndex = Math.floor(Math.random() * numWords);
                console.log(wordIndex);

                for (var x in wordList) {
                    if (wordIndex >= wordList[x].length) {
                        wordIndex -= wordList[x].length;
                    } else {
                        return wordList[x][wordIndex];
                    }
                }
            };
        },
        random: function() {
            return undefined; // or throw exception?  // not initialized yet
        }
    };
}());
var print = (function() {
    var $console = $("#console");
    return function(msg) {
        $console.text($console.text() + "\n" + msg);
    };
}());

$("#random").click(function() {
    print("Random word: " + words.random());
});

print("Random word before load: " + words.random());

$.getJSON("http://jsbin.com/ukaxec/2/js")
    .then(words.load)
    .then(function() {print("Random word after load: " + words.random());});

The $.getJSON() call fetches a small list of words, an extension of your example, also available on JSBin.

Please note, before the JSON data loads successfully, words.random functions as a placeholder, only to be replaced once the words are loaded.

However, I do question the necessity of sending the entire word list to the client if you're only utilizing it to load a single word.

Answer 4

I successfully implemented Mash's algorithm by making two minor adjustments to it and updating the answer accordingly. You are correct in pointing out that using getJSON with jQuery makes JSON.parse unnecessary. You can see the code running on JSBin:

var words = (function() {
    var wordList, numWords;

    return  {
        load: function(data) {
            wordList = data;
            numWords = 0;
            for (var x in wordList) {
                numWords += wordList[x].length;
            }
            words.random = function() {
                var wordIndex = Math.floor(Math.random() * numWords);
                console.log(wordIndex);

                for (var x in wordList) {
                    if (wordIndex >= wordList[x].length) {
                        wordIndex -= wordList[x].length;
                    } else {
                        return wordList[x][wordIndex];
                    }
                }
            };
        },
        random: function() {
            return undefined; // or throw exception?  // not initialized yet
        }
    };
}());
var print = (function() {
    var $console = $("#console");
    return function(msg) {
        $console.text($console.text() + "\n" + msg);
    };
}());

$("#random").click(function() {
    print("Random word: " + words.random());
});

print("Random word before load: " + words.random());

$.getJSON("http://jsbin.com/ukaxec/2/js")
    .then(words.load)
    .then(function() {print("Random word after load: " + words.random());});

The $.getJSON() call fetches a small list of words, an extension of your example, also available on JSBin.

Please note, before the JSON data loads successfully, words.random functions as a placeholder, only to be replaced once the words are loaded.

However, I do question the necessity of sending the entire word list to the client if you're only utilizing it to load a single word.

Can you provide steps on loading JSON data into a JavaScript web application and then randomly selecting a word from it?

Answer №1

Answer №2

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