Hi! I've been playing pico-8 games for a few years, but I just recently started playing around with coding it, so I'm a newb to pico-8 and lua programming.

I don't get it why this wouldn't work, it just prints out 1 2 3, could someone please point me in the right direction?

I first tried to put the random function straight into the add function, but that didn't work, so that's why i here try to put it into the 'randy2' variable first.

add(rndorder,flr(rnd(3))+1)

I also tried to add the random value manually (row by row) into the table, but that didn't work either :(

rndorder[1]=flr(rnd(3))+1
rndorder[2]=flr(rnd(3))+1
Etc.

Why wouldn't this add 7 random numbers into the 'rndorder' table and print them out?

rndorder={}

palt(0, false) --transparency
palt(2, true)

function _init()

    function populate_rndorder()
        x=1
        while(x<=7) do
         randy2=flr(rnd(3))+1 --int random
            add(rndorder, randy2)
            x=x+1
         end
     end

    populate_rndorder()

end

function _update()
--
end

function _draw()
cls()
map()
    for v in all(rndorder) do
        print(v,v*8,v*8,10)
    end
end

I saw this other random thread
https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=3959
where someone gives the example:

function _init() 
balls={}
 for i=1,500 do 
add(balls,rnd()) 
end 
end 

I don't see the difference.

Any help appreciated!

It does - you are using the value as coordinates.
Given that values are only 1,2 or 3 - you are simply printing multiple times at the same location.

"Fixed" version:

local rndorder={}

palt(0, false) --transparency
palt(2, true)

function _init()
	for x=1,7 do
		add(rndorder,flr(rnd(3))+1)
	end
end

function _update()
--
end

function _draw()
	cls()
	local y=2
 for v in all(rndorder) do
  print(v,2,y,10)
  y+=6
 end
end

Thanks man! Very nice of you! What a silly mistake, I apparently didn't read i.e. understand the print function properly, I missed that it printed the values.