How to Randomly Select a Variable in Python

In this tutorial, we will be discussing a quick and easy way to select a variable randomly in Python. This can be useful in numerous situations, such as when deciding the split of a dataset for machine learning, or simply when you need a random element from a list, dictionary, or any other iterable.

Step 1: Import Required Module

Firstly, you need to import the random module. This built-in Python module implements pseudo-random number generators for various distributions.

Step 2: Define the Variables

Let’s assume we have three variables a, b, and c holding different values. Now our task is to randomly select one of them.

Step 3: Use random.choice() Function

To select randomly from these variables, place them in a list and use the random.choice() method on that list.

Here, random.choice([a, b, c]) will randomly select any of the variables a, b, or c.

Full Code

Here is the complete Python code as discussed in the steps above.

When you run the code, it will randomly print one of the values from 5, 10, or 15. Try running it multiple times to see the varying results.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we learned how to randomly select a variable from a list of variables in Python using the random.choice() function. This function is part of the random module and can be utilized to add a level of randomness to our Python code.

Understanding how to use these fundamental aspects of the Python programming language can open up many possibilities. For more queries or tools about Python visit the official Python documentation.