PHP script to get two random cards from a standard deck of cards. I didn't actually need this, I made it to prove to someone else that it was possible to write it in a cleaner way. Originally written on 2020/08/08.

random-cards.php

<?php
// Initialise an empty array, not strictly necessary but good practice
$cards = [];

// A deck of cards is split into 4 types of cards, we use this
// when building the names of every card, in other words, each
// card is named "X of Y".
$card_suffixes = [
  'of Clubs',
  'of Spades',
  'of Diamonds',
  'of Hearts'
];

// Build the cards loop, loop over each card type, adding the 12 cards of that type 
foreach ($card_suffixes as $card_suffix) {
  // Start by adding Ace (because 1 is called Ace), "Ace of Y"
  $cards[] = "Ace $card_suffix";

  // Populate the next 9 numeric cards, "i of Y"
  for ($i = 2; $i <= 10; $i++) {
    $cards[] = "$i $card_suffix";
  }

  // Add the 3 remaining "non-numeric" cards, "Something of Y"
  $cards[] = "Jack $card_suffix";
  $cards[] = "Queen $card_suffix";
  $cards[] = "King $card_suffix";
}

// We now have an array with 52 card names
// Get two random numbers and make sure they are both unique
$rand1 = rand(0, 51);
$rand2 = rand(0, 51);
while ($rand1 == $rand2) {
	$rand2 = rand(0, 51);
}

// Display two random cards from the deck
var_dump($cards[$rand1]); echo '<br>';
var_dump($cards[$rand2]);

// Refresh link, because browser caching is a bitch
$now = time();
echo "<br><a href=\"?t=$now\">Get new cards</a>";