/// <summary>
/// A classic sort of a problem really. Given a list, can you randomly shuffle it into an array but be sure that the array is full?
/// My first approach, commented out, does not guarantee this at all!
/// </summary>
/// <param name="intake"></param>
/// <returns></returns>
private List<Student> shuffleStudents(List<Student> intake)
{
Random ind = new Random();
var inputStudents = intake.ToArray();
Student[] students = new Student[intake.Count];
int s = 0;
while (students.Any(x => x == null) && inputStudents.Length > 0)
{
int r = ind.Next(0, inputStudents.Length);
if (students[r] == null)
{
students[r] = inputStudents[s]; //do this here so I can get s = 0 in the array
}
else
{
List<int> nulls = new List<int>();
for (int _i = 0; _i < inputStudents.Count(); _i++) if (students[_i] == null) nulls.Add(_i); //get a list of null indices
if (nulls.Count() > 0) students[nulls.First()] = inputStudents[s]; //fill up the holes
}
s++;
s = s < inputStudents.Length ? s : 0; //increment the input index but don't go outside the bounds of the array!
}
return students.ToList();
}