[java] How to generate a random string of 20 characters

I'd use this approach:

String randomString(final int length) {
    Random r = new Random(); // perhaps make it a class variable so you don't make a new one every time
    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
    for(int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
        char c = (char)(r.nextInt((int)(Character.MAX_VALUE)));
        sb.append(c);
    }
    return sb.toString();
}

If you want a byte[] you can do this:

byte[] randomByteString(final int length) {
    Random r = new Random();
    byte[] result = new byte[length];
    for(int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
        result[i] = r.nextByte();
    }
    return result;
}

Or you could do this

byte[] randomByteString(final int length) {
    Random r = new Random();
    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
    for(int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
        char c = (char)(r.nextInt((int)(Character.MAX_VALUE)));
        sb.append(c);
    }
    return sb.toString().getBytes();
}