Python random.shuffle() function to shuffle list items

In this article, we will learn how to use the random.shuffle() function of a random module to shuffle the data. Also, learn how to randomly shuffle the list and string in Python. Shuffle any sequence in place or not in place.

Goals of this lesson In this lesson, you’ll learn how to:

• Shuffle a list and string using a Python random module
• Shuffle list to get the same result every time
• Shuffle two Python List at once with the same order
• Shuffling multidimensional array in Python

The Syntax of random.shuffle

Following is the syntax of a random.shuffle() function.

random.shuffle(x, random)

the random.shuffle function takes two parameters. Out of the two random is an optional parameter. random.shuffle function used to shuffle the sequence in place. i.e., it changes the position of items in a list, we call it a randomizes the elements of a list in place.

Examples: Shuffling a pack of cards, shuffling list of a string.

Arguments: –

• x is any sequence you want to shuffle. x can be the list, string or tuple.
• The optional argument random is a function returning a random float number between 0.1 to 1.0. If not specified by default, this is the function random.random().

If you want to perform shuffling as per your need, then you can pass your custom random function in the place of a random argument, which will dictate shuffle function on how to randomizes the items of a list.

Return Value

The random.shuffle shuffles in place and doesn’t return anything i.e., It returns None. It reshuffles the original list (change the positions of the items).

If you print the original list after calling the shuffle function, you will find the positions of the elements changed. Let see how to shuffle list in place using a random.shuffle function.

Python shuffle a list using random.shuffle

import random
number_list = [7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70]
print ("Original list : ",  number_list)

random.shuffle(number_list) #shuffle method
print ("List after first shuffle  : ",  number_list)

random.shuffle(number_list)
print ("List after second shuffle : ",  number_list)

Output: Run Online

Original list :  [7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70]
List after first shuffle  :  [7, 14, 56, 21, 35, 70, 49, 42, 28, 63]
List after second shuffle :  [35, 63, 70, 21, 42, 28, 49, 56, 14, 7]

As you can see in the output list items positions are changed.

Shuffle a list of Strings using random.shuffle()

It works the same as the above example.

import random

string_list = ["Paint It Black", "Gimme Shelter", "Sympathy for the Devil", "Satisfaction", "You Cant Always Get What You Want"]
print ("Original String list: ",  string_list)

random.shuffle(string_list) #shuffle method
print ("String List after the first shuffle  : ",  string_list)

random.shuffle(string_list)
print ("String List after the second shuffle : ",  string_list)

Output: Run Online

Original String list :  ['Paint It Black', 'Gimme Shelter', 'Sympathy for the Devil', 'Satisfaction', 'You Cant Always Get What You Want']
String List after the first shuffle  :  ['Gimme Shelter', 'Satisfaction', 'Sympathy for the Devil', 'You Cant Always Get What You Want', 'Paint It Black']
String List after the second shuffle :  ['Paint It Black', 'Gimme Shelter', 'Sympathy for the Devil', 'Satisfaction', 'You Cant Always Get What You Want']

Shuffling a String in Python

The random.shuffle doesn’t’ work with String. I.e., It can’t accept string argument. If you try to execute the following, you will get an error.

import random

string_one = "pynative"
random.shuffle(string_one)
print(string_one)

You will get the TypeError: 'str' object does not support item assignment. Then how to shuffle characters of a string?

We can do this using various approaches. Let see each one by one.

Approach One

• Convert String into a list of characters.
• shuffle the list of characters randomly.
• Convert the shuffled list into String.

import random

string_one = "pynative"
print ("Original String: ", string_one)
char_list = list(string_one) # convert string into list
random.shuffle(char_list) #shuffle the list

string_one = ''.join(char_list)
print ("shuffled String is: ", string_one)

Output: Run Online

Original String:  pynative
shuffled String is:  anvtipye

Python shuffling list to get the same result every time

How to shuffle the list with a parameter such that the shuffling produces the same result every time?

Using the random.seed() function of a random module it is possible that the shuffling produces the same result every time. Let see how to use a random.seed function with the random.shuffle function.

numbers = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60]
print ("Original list: ", numbers )
random.seed(4)
random.shuffle(numbers)
print("reshuffled list ", numbers)

numbers = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60]
random.seed(4)
random.shuffle(numbers)
print("reshuffled list ", numbers)

Output: Run Online

Original list:  [10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60]
reshuffled list  [40, 60, 50, 10, 30, 20]
reshuffled list  [40, 60, 50, 10, 30, 20]

Python random’s shuffle not-in-place

As we already discussed the random.shuffle shuffles in place and didn’t return anything. So let see now how to shuffle list not in-place.

To perform shuffle not in-place we need to use a random.sample() function of the random module.

random.sample() function returns the new list with the number of the sample size you passed to it. If we pass the sample size the same as the size of a list it will return us the new list which is a shuffled version of the original list. Let do this with an example.

import random

numbers = [5, 10, 15, 20, 25]
print ("Original list : ",  numbers)

new_list = random.sample(numbers, len(numbers))
print ("List after not in-place shuffle  : ",  new_list)

Output: Run Online

Original list :  [5, 10, 15, 20, 25]
List after not in-place shuffle  :  [5, 20, 10, 15, 25]

As you can see we used a sample method to perform not in-place shuffle.

Shuffle two Python List at once with the same order

Let’s assume if you want to Shuffle two list but also wants to maintain the same shuffle order. For example, One list contains employee name and the other contains a salary.

import random

empName = ['Jhon', 'Emma', 'Kelly', 'Jason']
empSalary = [7000, 6500, 9000, 10000]

print("Print Lists Before Shuffling")
print("List Employee Names: ", empName)
print("List Employee Salary: ", empSalary)

mapIndexPosition = list(zip(empName, empSalary))
random.shuffle(mapIndexPosition)
empName, empSalary = zip(*mapIndexPosition)

print("\nPrint Lists after Shuffling")
print("List Employee Names: ", empName)
print("List Employee Salary: ", empSalary)

Output: Run Online

Print Lists Before Shuffling
List Employee Names:  ['Jhon', 'Emma', 'Kelly', 'Jason']
List Employee Salary:  [7000, 6500, 9000, 10000]

Print Lists after Shuffling
List Employee Names:  ('Emma', 'Jhon', 'Kelly', 'Jason')
List Employee Salary:  (6500, 7000, 9000, 10000)

Shuffling multidimensional array in Python

Let’s assume if you have a multidimensional array and want to shuffle it. Python’s NumPy module has a numpy.random package to generate random data.

In this example, I am using Numpy module to create a 2-d array. Also, Using numpy.random.shuffle() function we can shuffle the multidimensional array.

Now, Let’s see how to shuffle a multidimensional array in Python.

import numpy

print("Before Shufflling 2-dimensional array in Python")
sampleArray = numpy.arange(100, 240, 10)
sampleArray = sampleArray.reshape(7,2)
print (sampleArray)

print("After Shufflling 2-dimensional array in Python")
newArray = numpy.random.shuffle(sampleArray)
print (sampleArray)

Output: Run Online

Before Shufflling 2-dimensional array in Python
[[100 110]
 [120 130]
 [140 150]
 [160 170]
 [180 190]
 [200 210]
 [220 230]]
After Shufflling 2-dimensional array in Python
[[120 130]
 [140 150]
 [160 170]
 [180 190]
 [220 230]
 [100 110]
 [200 210]]

Shuffle a dictionary in Python

Shuffling a dictionary is not possible in Python. However, we can rearrange the iteration order of keys of a dictionary.  Fetch all keys from a dictionary and add it in a list, shuffle that list and access dictionary values using newly shuffled keys.

import random

studentDict = {'Eric':80, 'Scott':75, 'Jessa':95, 'Mike':66}
print("Dictionary Before Shuffling")
print(studentDict)
keys =  list(studentDict.keys())
random.shuffle(keys)

ShuffledStudentDict = dict()
for key in keys:
  ShuffledStudentDict.update({key:studentDict[key]})

print("\nDictionary after Shuffling")
print(ShuffledStudentDict)

Output: Run Online

Dictionary Before Shuffling
{'Eric': 80, 'Scott': 75, 'Jessa': 95, 'Mike': 66}

Dictionary after Shuffling
{'Jessa': 95, 'Eric': 80, 'Mike': 66, 'Scott': 75}

So What Do You Think?

I want to hear from you. What do you think of this article on random.shuffle? Or maybe I missed one of the usages of random.shuffle(). Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below.

Also, try to solve the following Free Python Exercises and Quizzes to have a better understanding of working with random data in Python.