public static void Set(this DropDownList ddl, string findByVal)
{ // attempts to set a DDL to the 'findByVal'
  try { ddl.SelectedIndex = ddl.Items.IndexOf(ddl.Items.FindByValue(findByVal)); }
  catch { }; // otherwise statys at the default, avoids errors
}

<%
    ' Copyright (c) 2009, reusablecode.blogspot.com; some rights reserved.
    '
    ' This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License. To view
    ' a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or
    ' send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California
    ' 94305, USA.
    
    ' Returns the triangular number for a given number.
    function triangularNumber(someNumber)
        dim i
        dim result
        
        result = 0

        for i = 1 to someNumber
            result = result + i
        next
        
        triangularNumber = result
    end function
%>

<%
    ' Copyright (c) 2009, reusablecode.blogspot.com; some rights reserved.
    '
    ' This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License. To view
    ' a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or
    ' send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California
    ' 94305, USA.
    
    sub echo(someText)
        Response.Write Replace(someText, "\n", vbCrLf)
    end sub
%>

<%
    ' Copyright (c) 2009, reusablecode.blogspot.com; some rights reserved.
    '
    ' This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License. To view
    ' a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or
    ' send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California
    ' 94305, USA.
    
    function nl2br(someText)
        nl2br = Replace(someText, vbCrLf, "<br />")
    end function
%>

<%
    ' Copyright (c) 2009, reusablecode.blogspot.com; some rights reserved.
    '
    ' This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License. To view
    ' a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or
    ' send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California
    ' 94305, USA.

    ' Returns the stardate for a given date.
    ' Requires str_pad()
    function stardate(someDateTime)
        dim season
        dim episode
        dim fractime
        
        season = cStr(Year(someDateTime) - 1947)
        episode = str_pad(Round(1000 / 366 * DatePart("y", someDateTime), 0), 3, "0", "left")
        fractime = left(cStr((Hour(someDateTime) * 60 + Minute(someDateTime)) / 144), 1)
        
        stardate = season & episode & "." & fractime
    end function
%>

Sub BindDropDownListDB(ByVal ddlDrop As Object, ByVal strTable As String, ByVal strValue As String, ByVal strText As String, ByVal strOrder As String, ByVal strWhere As String)

        Dim objConn As New SqlConnection()
        Dim objCmd As New SqlCommand()
        Dim strSQL As String

        objConn = New SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("[database]").ConnectionString)
        objCmd.Connection = objConn
        objCmd.Connection.Open()

        strSQL = "SELECT " + strValue + " As Value1, " + strText + " As Text1 "
        strSQL += "FROM " + strTable + " "
        strSQL += "WHERE " + strWhere + " "
        strSQL += "ORDER BY " + strOrder + ";"

        objCmd.CommandText = strSQL
        ddlDrop.DataSource = objCmd.ExecuteReader()
        ddlDrop.DataTextField = "Text1"
        ddlDrop.DataValueField = "Value1"
        ddlDrop.DataBind()
        ddlDrop.Items.Insert(0, New ListItem("Default Item", ""))

        objConn.Dispose()
        objConn.Close()

    End Sub

Function TimeAgo(dtField)
				days = DateDiff("d", dtField, Now)
				If days > 365 Then
					years = DateDiff("yyyy", dtField, Now)
					If years = 1 Then
						ago = "Expired " & years & " year ago"
					Else
						ago = "Expired " & years & " years ago"
					End If
				ElseIf days > 30 Then
					months = DateDiff("m", dtField, Now)
					If months = 1 Then
						ago = "Expired " & months & " month ago"
					Else
						ago = "Expired " & months & " months ago"
					End If
				Else
					ago = "Expired " & days & " days ago"
				End If
				TimeAgo = ago
			End Function

<link rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' href='<%= ResolveUrl("~/style.css") %>' />

Sub Shuffle (ByRef arrInput)
	'declare local variables:
	Dim arrIndices, iSize, x
	Dim arrOriginal
	
	'calculate size of given array:
	iSize = UBound(arrInput)+1
	
	'build array of random indices:
	arrIndices = RandomNoDuplicates(0, iSize-1, iSize)
	
	'copy:
	arrOriginal = CopyArray(arrInput)
	
	'shuffle:
	For x=0 To UBound(arrIndices)
		arrInput(x) = arrOriginal(arrIndices(x))
	Next
End Sub

Function CopyArray (arr)
	Dim result(), x
	ReDim result(UBound(arr))
	For x=0 To UBound(arr)
		If IsObject(arr(x)) Then
			Set result(x) = arr(x)
		Else  
			result(x) = arr(x)
		End If
	Next
	CopyArray = result
End Function

Function RandomNoDuplicates (iMin, iMax, iElements)
	'this function will return array with "iElements" elements, each of them is random
	'integer in the range "iMin"-"iMax", no duplicates.
	
	'make sure we won't have infinite loop:
	If (iMax-iMin+1)>iElements Then
		Exit Function
	End If
	
	'declare local variables:
	Dim RndArr(), x, curRand
	Dim iCount, arrValues()
	
	'build array of values:
	Redim arrValues(iMax-iMin)
	For x=iMin To iMax
		arrValues(x-iMin) = x
	Next
	
	'initialize array to return:
	Redim RndArr(iElements-1)
	
	'reset:
	For x=0 To UBound(RndArr)
		RndArr(x) = iMin-1
	Next
	
	'initialize random numbers generator engine:
	Randomize
	iCount=0
	
	'loop until the array is full:
	Do Until iCount>=iElements
		'create new random number:
		curRand = arrValues(CLng((Rnd*(iElements-1))+1)-1)
		
		'check if already has duplicate, put it in array if not
 		If Not(InArray(RndArr, curRand)) Then
			RndArr(iCount)=curRand
			iCount=iCount+1
		End If
		
		'maybe user gave up by now...
		If Not(Response.IsClientConnected) Then
			Exit Function
		End If
	Loop
	
	'assign the array as return value of the function:
	RandomNoDuplicates = RndArr
End Function
  
Function InArray(arr, val)
	Dim x
	InArray=True
	For x=0 To UBound(arr)
		If arr(x)=val Then
			Exit Function
		End If
 	Next
	InArray=False
End Function

'usage:
Dim arrTest
arrTest = Array(5, 8, 10, 15, 2, 30)
Call Shuffle(arrTest)
Response.Write(Join(arrTest, "<br />"))

' This function will DEAL the "needed"
' number of values from the given "inArray"
'
' If the value for "needed" matches the
' upper bound of the "inArray", then the
' entire "inArray" is dealt out.
'
' NOTE: As written, this code never uses
' or touches element zero of the inArray
' and puts no value in element zero of the
' outArray. (Obviously, easy to change.)
'
Function Shuffle( inArray, needed )
    ' find out how many input elements there are...
    incnt = UBound( inArray )
    ' then create the output array to be the size
    ' requested via the "needed" argument
    dim outArray
    redim outArray( needed )

    ' now we will select the number of values
    ' specified as "needed"...
    For i = 1 To needed
        ' choose a random number from 1 to our
        ' current input array usage size...
        choose = Int( incnt * Rnd(1) ) + 1

        ' put that chosen element into the next
        ' slot in the output array...
        outArray( i ) = inArray( choose )

        ' here's the tricky part: Since we just
        ' used the "choose" element, we don't need
        ' it any more...we replace it with the last
        ' element of the in-use part of the array!
        inArray( choose ) = inArray( incnt )

        ' and then we (effectively) shrink the array!
        ' Next time through the loop, there will be
        ' one fewer elements in the array to choose
        ' from...because we have (effectively) deleted
        ' the one just chosen!
        incnt = incnt - 1

    Next
    ' return the shuffled output
    Shuffle = outArray
End Function

' This is just a convenience function
'
' If you need *all* the "cards" in a deck of a given
' size shuffled, and the "name" of a card can just be
' its numeric position in the unshuffled deck, then
' just call ShuffleDeck, passing the size of the deck
' to be shuffled.
'
Function ShuffleDeck( deckSize )
    Dim i, deck()
    ReDim deck( deckSize )
    For i = 1 To deckSize
        deck(i) = i
    Next
    ShuffleDeck = Shuffle( deck, deckSize )
End Function
%>

<HTML><BODY>

<%
Randomize

ar = Array(0,"you","can","put","anything","in","the","array","of","course")
str = Mid( Join(ar," "), 2 )
Response.Write "Picking 4 words from this list: <STRONG>" _
             & str & "</STRONG><OL>" & vbNewLine
sh = Shuffle( ar, 4 )
For i = 1 to 4
    Response.Write "<LI>" & sh(i) & vbNewLine
Next

Response.Write "</OL><P> <P>" & vbNewLine

Response.Write "Shuffling a 'deck' of 20 numbered cards.<BR>" _
            & "The cards were originally numbered from 1 to 20.<P>" & vbNewLine
sh = ShuffleDeck( 20 )
str = Mid( Join( sh, "," ), 2 )
Response.Write "The shuffled deck: <STRONG>" & str & "</STRONG>" & vbNewLine
%>