Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 20:22:33 +0200 (MET DST) From: J Wunsch <j@uriah.heep.sax.de> To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org (FreeBSD hackers) Subject: Re: rand() and random() Message-ID: <199610041822.UAA03607@uriah.heep.sax.de> In-Reply-To: <199610031538.BAA19908@godzilla.zeta.org.au> from Bruce Evans at "Oct 4, 96 01:38:16 am"
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As Bruce Evans wrote:
> >That doesn't mean it would be impossible to do
> >
> >int
> >rand(void)
> >{
> > return (int)random();
> >}
>
> It would have to use a copy of random() so that the functions don't
> mess up each other's state.
...unless it's documented that they mess with it. :) It's unlikely
that one program uses both functions (and if so, it's as likely that
the lousy programmer would have messed rand()'s state with rand() in
another place as well ;-).
> >I vote for killing the old rand(). Too many things (in particular,
> >games) behave very stupid with it.
>
> Are they better with rand() replaced by (rand() % 0x7fff)?
I don't think so. But they are much better with random(). See xmine,
if you wanna get a nice example. It generates totally predictable
layouts when using rand().
--
cheers, J"org
joerg_wunsch@uriah.heep.sax.de -- http://www.sax.de/~joerg/ -- NIC: JW11-RIPE
Never trust an operating system you don't have sources for. ;-)
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