Question Randomized Playlist

[AndreasPapandreou]

Hello i am new to c# and trying to create some simple programs and one of those is a randomized playlist for spotify.
When I run the code I get this error:
"Unhandled exception. System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: Index must be within the bounds of the List. (Parameter 'index')
at System.Collections.Generic.List`1.Insert(Int32 index, T item)
at SpotifyPlaylists.Program.Main() in C:\Users\antre\RiderProjects\SpotifyPlaylists\SpotifyPlaylists\Main.cs:line 21"

the code the following:

namespace SpotifyPlaylists;
class Program {
    public static void Main(){
      
        List<String> playlist = new List<string>();
        List<String> RandomPlaylist = new List<string>();
        Random rnd = new Random();
      
        Console.WriteLine("Hello at this program we are gonna create you a randomized playlist for your spotify based on your songs.");
        Console.WriteLine("You are gonna text the songs you like one by one. When you don't wanna add any more songs just type DONE");
      
        String song = Console.ReadLine();
      
        while (song.Equals("DONE")==false){
            playlist.Add(song);
            song = Console.ReadLine();
        }

      
        foreach (var i in playlist){
            RandomPlaylist.Insert((rnd.Next((playlist.Count)-1)), i);
        }

        foreach (var i in RandomPlaylist)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(i);
        }
    }
}

 

[JohnH]

You're trying to insert at an index that is higher than the number of items in RandomPlaylist.

 

[Skydiver]

Random.Next(n) will return a number from 0 to n-1, inclusive. If it returns 0 and you subtract 1 like you are currently doing, then you have an index that is out of range.

 

[Skydiver]

@JohnH is right on the money.

 

[JohnH]

A higher random number than 0 is statistically more likely, but that could happen too.
Anyway, the approach must be changed. For example if you want to only add the items once you can pick a random index in source, get that item, remove it from source and add it to target list.

 

[AndreasPapandreou]

First of all thank you both for the advices I am starting to see the bigger picture. so I should firstly remove the -1 now for what you said @JohnH could you please be a little more specific?

 

[JohnH]

could you please be a little more specific?

Start with this: "pick a random index in source" - can you do that?

var index = random number from 0 to source list count -1