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Make Up a Random Name

Create random pronounceable nicknames for yourself and your friends.

Run the code to make a random sequence of 6 letters. Try it several times; try lengths other than 6:

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This gives the list of characters from “a” to “z”:

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CharacterRange["a", "z"]
Out[1]=1

RandomChoice chooses a random character from the list. Each time you run the code, you get a different choice:

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RandomChoice[CharacterRange["a", "z"]]
Out[2]=2

This gives a list of 6 random characters:

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RandomChoice[CharacterRange["a", "z"], 6]
Out[3]=3

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RandomChoice[CharacterRange["a", "z"], 6]
Out[1]=1

Get lists of vowels and consonants. Try adding “y” to the list of vowels:

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Make a list of the vowels and give it the name vowels:

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vowels = {"a", "e", "i", "o", "u"}
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Using the name vowels is the same as using the list:

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vowels
Out[2]=2

Complement gives all of the elements of the first list that are not in the second list. For example:

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Complement[{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, {2, 4}]
Out[3]=3

The consonants are the letters that are not vowels:

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consonants = Complement[CharacterRange["a", "z"], vowels]
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vowels = {"a", "e", "i", "o", "u"}; consonants = Complement[CharacterRange["a", "z"], vowels]
Out[1]=1

Make random “words” out of 4 letters. Try other patterns of consonants and vowels:
 

Note: be sure you have already run the previous step.

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This gives a random consonant:

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RandomChoice[consonants]
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This gives a random vowel:

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RandomChoice[vowels]
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String together consonants and vowels in a list to make random “words”:

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{RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels], RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels]}
Out[3]=3

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{RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels], RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels]}
Out[1]=1

Make a list of 4 alternations of consonants and vowels. Try numbers other than 4:

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Table makes lists of things.

This makes a list of 4 random consonants:

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Table[RandomChoice[consonants], {4}]
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This makes a list of 4 consonant-vowel lists:

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Table[{RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels]}, {4}]
Out[2]=2

Flatten flattens out the sublists:

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Flatten[Table[{RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels]}, {4}]]
Out[3]=3

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Flatten[Table[{RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels]}, {4}]]
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Display the letters as a “word” in 40-point type. Try changing the size to something other than 40—for example, 80:

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StringJoin joins text strings in a list into a single text string:

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StringJoin[{"wolf", "ram"}]
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Use it to make a word out of a list of random letters:

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StringJoin[ Flatten[Table[{RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels]}, {4}]]]
Out[2]=2

Change the size of text with Style. This writes “wolfram” in 40-point text (a point is a printer’s measure equal to 1/72 inch):

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Style["wolfram", 40]
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Write a random word in 40-point text:

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Style[StringJoin[ Flatten[Table[{RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels]}, {4}]]], 40]
Out[4]=4

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Style[StringJoin[ Flatten[Table[{RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels]}, {4}]]], 40]
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Make a column of 6 random names. Try numbers of names other than 6:

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Column formats lists of things as columns:

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Column[{"one", "two", "three", "four"}]
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Make a list of 6 random names:

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Table[Style[ StringJoin[ Flatten[Table[{RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels]}, {4}]]], 40], {6}]
Out[2]=2

Use Column to format the names in a column:

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Column[Table[ Style[StringJoin[ Flatten[Table[{RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels]}, {4}]]], 40], {6}]]
Out[3]=3

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Column[Table[ Style[StringJoin[ Flatten[Table[{RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels]}, {4}]]], 40], {6}]]
Out[1]=1

Share It—make a website that gives you a different random name each time you visit it:

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Deploy the random name code to the Wolfram Cloud, where anyone can use it:

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CloudDeploy[ Delayed[ExportForm[ vowels = {"a", "e", "i", "o", "u"}; consonants = Complement[CharacterRange["a", "z"], vowels]; Style[StringJoin[ Flatten[Table[{RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels]}, {4}]]], 40], "PNG"]], "Permissions" -> "Public" ]
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Click the link in the output to visit the site. Refresh the page in your browser to get a new random name.

Tell the world about your creation by sharing the link via email, tweet or other message.

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CloudDeploy[ Delayed[ExportForm[ vowels = {"a", "e", "i", "o", "u"}; consonants = Complement[CharacterRange["a", "z"], vowels]; Style[StringJoin[ Flatten[Table[{RandomChoice[consonants], RandomChoice[vowels]}, {4}]]], 40], "PNG"]], "Permissions" -> "Public" ]
Out[1]=1
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