flash - Word randomization in Actionscript -

in actionscript, i'm trying find way produce strings , string variables spit out different text each time they're brought up. purely visualize:

var text:string "red||blue"; //whenever variable called, it's either red or blue  textoutput("you spot grey||black cat."); //a function equivalent of same issue 

i can produce function effect, seems variable cannot function, far can tell.

i've considered array variables, have no idea how use array spit out single entry when variable called, , don't know how make work string isn't variable -- assuming can away single system works both situations.

edit

to expand upon issue expressed in batman's answer, using result on variable produces result 'sticks' whichever randomly chooses. example:

var shoes:string = grabrandomitem("red shoes||crimson shoes");  trace("you have " + shoes + ".") //whichever result chosen stays way. 

moreover, may want change variable else entirely not-random:

var secondshoes:string = "blue shoes";  function newshoes(): {      shoes = secondshoes; } 

there ton of ways this, align way you'd it, here simplest way accomplish this:

//populate string: (remove word private if using timeline code) private var text_:string = "red||blue||green||yellow";  //create getter use function property function text():string {     //create array splitting text on instances of ||     var arr:array = text_.split("||");     //return random element of array made     return arr[math.floor(math.random() * arr.length)]; }  trace(text); 

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even better, create common function parse string:

function grabrandomitem(str:string):string {     var arr:array = str.split("||");     return arr[math.floor(math.random() * arr.length)]; }  //make getter variable regenerates everytime it's called. function label():string {     return "you spot " + grabrandomitem("grey||black||blue||red||purple") + " cat"; }  trace(label); //anytime access label var, re-generate randomized string  trace(label); trace(label); trace(label); //  ^^ should have different results 

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of course, way think works best if text comes user input. if hard coding text app, might create in array directly show in another answer have there's less overhead involved way.