order/ticket number generator

function assign_rand_value($num)
{
// accepts 1 - 36
  switch($num)
  {
    case "1":
     $rand_value = "a";
    break;
    case "2":
     $rand_value = "b";
    break;
    case "3":
     $rand_value = "c";
    break;
    case "4":
     $rand_value = "d";
    break;
    case "5":
     $rand_value = "e";
    break;
    case "6":
     $rand_value = "f";
    break;
    case "7":
     $rand_value = "g";
    break;
    case "8":
     $rand_value = "h";
    break;
    case "9":
     $rand_value = "i";
    break;
    case "10":
     $rand_value = "j";
    break;
    case "11":
     $rand_value = "k";
    break;
    case "12":
     $rand_value = "l";
    break;
    case "13":
     $rand_value = "m";
    break;
    case "14":
     $rand_value = "n";
    break;
    case "15":
     $rand_value = "o";
    break;
    case "16":
     $rand_value = "p";
    break;
    case "17":
     $rand_value = "q";
    break;
    case "18":
     $rand_value = "r";
    break;
    case "19":
     $rand_value = "s";
    break;
    case "20":
     $rand_value = "t";
    break;
    case "21":
     $rand_value = "u";
    break;
    case "22":
     $rand_value = "v";
    break;
    case "23":
     $rand_value = "w";
    break;
    case "24":
     $rand_value = "x";
    break;
    case "25":
     $rand_value = "y";
    break;
    case "26":
     $rand_value = "z";
    break;
    case "27":
     $rand_value = "0";
    break;
    case "28":
     $rand_value = "1";
    break;
    case "29":
     $rand_value = "2";
    break;
    case "30":
     $rand_value = "3";
    break;
    case "31":
     $rand_value = "4";
    break;
    case "32":
     $rand_value = "5";
    break;
    case "33":
     $rand_value = "6";
    break;
    case "34":
     $rand_value = "7";
    break;
    case "35":
     $rand_value = "8";
    break;
    case "36":
     $rand_value = "9";
    break;
  }
return $rand_value;
}
 
/**
 * get_rand_id();
 *
 * @params: $length - The length of the string to return
 * @params: $t - Enable Alpha output or not
 *			$t (false) = numeric
 *			$t (true)  = alpha
 */
 
function get_rand_id($length,$t=false) {
	if($length>0) { 
		$rand_id="";
		for($i=1; $i<=$length; $i++) {		{
			mt_srand((double)microtime() * 1000000);
			$num = mt_rand(($t ? 27 : 1),($t ? 36 : 26));
			$rand_id .= assign_rand_value($num);
		}
	}
	return $rand_id;
}
 
/**
 * Usage: 
 * $orderNum  = get_rand_id(4,0);
 * $orderNum .= '-';
 * $orderNum .= get_rand_id(4,1);
 *
 * Output: 1234-abcd
 *
 */