Creating random numbers with no duplicates

Question

In this case, the MAX is only 5, so I could check the duplicates one by one, but how could I do this in a simpler way? For example, what if the MAX has a value of 20? Thanks

Answer 1

Here's how I'd do it

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Random;

public class Test {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int size = 20;

        ArrayList list = new ArrayList(size);
        for(int i = 1; i <= size; i++) {
            list.add(i);
        }

        Random rand = new Random();
        while(list.size() > 0) {
            int index = rand.nextInt(list.size());
            System.out.println("Selected: "+list.remove(index));
        }
    }
}

As the esteemed Mr Skeet has pointed out:
If n is the number of randomly selected numbers you wish to choose and N is the total sample space of numbers available for selection:

1. If n << N, you should just store the numbers that you have picked and check a list to see if the number selected is in it.
2. If n ~= N, you should probably use my method, by populating a list containing the entire sample space and then removing numbers from it as you select them.