View source for $Random

{{DISPLAYTITLE:$Random}}
<span class="pageSubtitle">Get next random number</span>

<p class="warn"><b>Note: </b>Many $functions have been deprecated in favor of Object Oriented methods. The OO equivalent for the $Random function is the <var>[[RandomNumberGenerator class|RandomNumberGenerator]]</var> class.</p>

This function returns either an unpredictable random number, or the next number in a series of random numbers. 

==Syntax==
<p class="syntax"><span class="term">%result</span> = <span class="literal">$Random</span>([<span class="term">minimum</span>], [<span class="term">maximum</span>], [<span class="term">%seed</span>])
</p>

<table>
<tr><th>%result</th>
<td>A numeric variable to receive an integer greater than or equal to <var class="term">minimum</var> and less than or equal to <var class="term">maximum</var>.</td></tr>

<tr><th>minimum</th>
<td>The smallest value that will be returned; the minimum value of this argument is the same as its default: -1,000,000,000. </td></tr>

<tr><th>maximum</th>
<td>The greatest value that will be returned; the maximum value of this argument is the same as its default: 1,000,000,000. This argument must be greater than the smallest value that will be returned. </td></tr>

<tr><th>%seed</th>
<td>A %variable or IMAGE item that was set to a random number seed using <var>[[$Random_Seed]]</var>. This argument must be a string of length at least 144. 
<p>
If this argument is omitted, the number returned is unpredictable; if it is present, the seed determines a specific series of random numbers, and each call to <var>$Random</var> returns the next number in that series. </p></td></tr>
</table>

If any argument is invalid, the request is cancelled. 

==Examples==
<ol>
<li>In the following example an unpredictable hand of 5 playing cards is "dealt". 
<p class="code">%I = 5
REPEAT WHILE %I GT 0
  %N = $Random(1, 52)
  IF %CARD(%N) NE &apos;&apos; THEN
     PRINT %CARD(%N)
     %I = %I - 1
     %CARD(%N) = &apos;&apos;
  END IF
END REPEAT
</p>

<li>In the following example a hand of 5 playing cards is "dealt", and the "player" can either ask for the particular hand to play, or can just hit enter, and get an unpredictable hand.

<p class="code">%HAND STRING LEN 144
REPEAT FOREVER
   %X = $READ('Pick a 4-digit hand number')
   IF %X EQ 0 THEN
      %X = $Random(1, 9999)
   END IF
   IF %X GT 0 AND %X LT 10000 THEN
      LOOP END
   END IF
   PRINT 'I said a 4 digit number!'
END REPEAT
PRINT 'You are playing hand number' AND %X
%X = $Random_Seed(%HAND, %X)
%I = 5
REPEAT WHILE %I GT 0
   %N = $Random(1, 52, %HAND)
   IF %CARD(%N) NE &apos;&apos; THEN
      PRINT %CARD(%N)
      %I = %I - 1
      %CARD(%N) = &apos;&apos;
   END IF
END REPEAT
</p>
</ol>

==Products authorizing {{PAGENAMEE}}== 
<ul class="smallAndTightList">
<li>[[List of $functions|Sirius functions]]</li>
<li>[[Fast/Unload User Language Interface]]</li>
<li>[[Media:JoclrNew.pdf|Janus Open Client]]</li>
<li>[[Media:JosrvrNew.pdf|Janus Open Server]]</li>
<li>[[Janus Sockets]]</li>
<li>[[Janus Web Server]]</li>
<li>Japanese functions</li>
<li>[[Media:SirfieldNew.pdf|Sir2000 Field Migration Facility]]</li>

</ul>

[[Category:$Functions|$Random]]