While searching for Tutorials on generating random numbers in C I found this topic
When I try to use the rand() function without parameters, I always get 0. When I try to use the rand() function with parameters, I always get the value 41. And whenever I try to use arc4random() and random() functions, I get a LNK2019 error.
Here's what I've done:
#include <stdlib.h>
int main()
{
int x;
x = rand(6);
printf("%d", x);
}
This code always generates 41. Where am I going wrong? I'm running Windows XP SP3 and using VS2010 Command Prompt as compiler.
int *generate_randomnumbers(int start, int end){
int *res = malloc(sizeof(int)*(end-start));
srand(time(NULL));
for (int i= 0; i < (end -start)+1; i++){
int r = rand()%end + start;
int dup = 0;
for (int j = 0; j < (end -start)+1; j++){
if (res[j] == r){
i--;
dup = 1;
break;
}
}
if (!dup)
res[i] = r;
}
return res;
}
You first need to seed the generator because it doesn't generate real random numbers!
Try this:
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>
int main()
{
// random seed, time!
srand( time(NULL) ); // hackish but gets the job done.
int x;
x = rand(); // everytime it is different because the seed is different.
printf("%d", x);
}
Or, to get a pseudo-random int in the range 0 to 19, for example, you could use the higher bits like this:
j = ((rand() >> 15) % 20;
#include <stdlib.h>
int main()
{
int x;
x = rand(6);
printf("%d", x);
}
Especially as a beginner, you should ask your compiler to print every warning about bad code that it can generate. Modern compilers know lots of different warnings which help you to program better. For example, when you compile this program with the GNU C Compiler:
$ gcc -W -Wall rand.c
rand.c: In function `main':
rand.c:5: error: too many arguments to function `rand'
rand.c:6: warning: implicit declaration of function `printf'
You get two warnings here. The first one says that the rand function only takes zero arguments, not one as you tried. To get a random number between 0 and n, you can use the expression rand() % n, which is not perfect but ok for small n. The resulting random numbers are normally not evenly distributed; smaller values are returned more often.
The second warning tells you that you are calling a function that the compiler doesn't know at that point. You have to tell the compiler by saying #include <stdio.h>. Which include files are needed for which functions is not always simple, but asking the Open Group specification for portable operating systems works in many cases: http://www.google.com/search?q=opengroup+rand.
These two warnings tell you much about the history of the C programming language. 40 years back, the definition of a function didn't include the number of parameters or the types of the parameters. It was also ok to call an unknown function, which in most cases worked. If you want to write code today, you should not rely on these old features but instead enable your compiler's warnings, understand the warnings and then fix them properly.
You need to seed your PRNG so it starts with a different value each time.
A simple but low quality seed is to use the current time:
srand(time(0));
This will get you started but is considered low quality (i.e. for example, don't use that if you are trying to generate RSA keys).
Background. Pseudo-random number generators do not create true random number sequences but just simulate them. Given a starting point number, a PRNG will always return the same sequence of numbers. By default, they start with the same internal state so will return the same sequence.
To not get the same sequence, you change the internal state. The act of changing the internal state is called "seeding".
Also, linear congruential PRNGs tend to produce more randomness on the higher bits that on the lower bits, so to cap the result don't use modulo, but instead use something like:
j = 1 + (int) (10.0 * (rand() / (RAND_MAX + 1.0)));
(This one is from "Numerical Recipes in C", ch.7)
Source: Stackoverflow.com