Generate Unique Random Numbers in Livecode - random

Question

I have created a new stack with six buttons (five small and one big) on card1. In every button there is a number like this.
button1 - 1
button2 - 2
button3 - 3
button4 - 4
button5 - 5
When I click the big button, I want to exchange these numbers randomly similar to this...
button1 - 4
button2 - 5
button3 - 1
button4 - 2
button5 - 3
After clicking the button again...
button1 - 4
button2 - 3
button3 - 5
button4 - 2
button5 - 1
And every time I click the big button again and again, the numbers are exchanged.
I tried this script for onmouseup handler on the big button but it is not the right way because sometimes it causes process delay.
put random(5) into num1
put random(5) into num2
put random(5) into num3
put random(5) into num4
put random(5) into num5
repeat until num2 is not num1
put random(5) into num2
end repeat
repeat until num3 is not num1 and num3 is not num2
put random(5) into num3
end repeat
repeat until num4 is not num3 and num4 is not num2 and num4 is not num1
put random(5) into num4
end repeat
repeat until num5 is not num4 and num5 is not num3 and num5 is not num2 and num5 is not num1
put random(5) into num5
end repeat
put num1 to button "button1"
put num2 to button "button2"
put num3 to button "button3"
put num4 to button "button4"
put num5 to button "button5"
What is the correct way to do that?
Additional: Is there any way to generate random numbers WITH exceptions?

Answer 1

Here's one way:
put "1,2,3,4,5" into theList
sort items of theList by random(10000)
repeat with N = 1 to 5
set label of button ("button" & N) to item N of theList
end repeat

Answer 2

The random function of programming languages is (almost) never truly random. A good way to create random numbers is to write the number 1 till 99 on a piece of paper and put the paper back into a bowl. Now draw a number and write it on a list. Put the paper b Continue until you have 100, or maybe 1000, numbers on your list. Now you have 100 perfectly random numbers.
Your script can now use this list. Just start with the first number on the first line, then the second, etc. until 100 (or 1000). Remember the line number in a preferences file, so you can continue the next session.
If you don't need true randomness, you can use LiveCode's random() function. You can also use the any keyword.
This is a general solution for N buttons
repeat with n = 1 to N
put n & comma after myList
end repeat
delete last char of myList
sort items of myList by random(N)
lock screen
repeat with n = 1 to N
set the label of btn n to item n of myList
end repeat
unlock screen
The script starts with creating a list of numbers with as many items as there are buttons. The sort command assigns a random number to each item and then sorts the items by their assigned numbers. We lock the screen to avoid redrawing after each time the label is set, which speeds up the process. The last repeat loop sets the label of each button to the respective items in the list.
I don't like the names you use for buttons. They're prone to errors and if you read the code again a few years later, you may not remember the purpose of the buttons. You may want to give the buttons a more descriptive name, while you don't need to use this name in the script. Instead, you can group the buttons and call this group "Randomly Numbered Buttons". Now change
set the label of btn n to item n of myList
into
set the label of btn n of grp "Randomly Numbered Buttons" to item n of myList
If you do this, you could also change
repeat with n = 1 to N
into
repeat with n = 1 to the number of buttons of grp "Randomely Numbered Buttons"