From: massimin AT triere DOT ens DOT fr (Pascal Massimino)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: Random numbers
Date: 28 Jan 1997 22:38:46 GMT
Organization: Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, France
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References: <5ck9gf$ft7$1 AT fizban DOT solace DOT mh DOT se> <32EDC403 DOT 6621 AT ix DOT netcom DOT com>
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In article <32EDC403 DOT 6621 AT ix DOT netcom DOT com>, Terence Ramos <de-bug AT ix DOT netcom DOT com> writes:
|> number =3D (rand() % (highNUM-lowNUM)) + lowNUM + 1;

My 2 cents:

 * use some bit masking, if your clipping range is a power of 2 (faster)
   ( e.g.: rand() & 0xff  instead of rand() % 256 )
 * do not use the lowest bits of rand(). Too bad random properties.
   Try printf'ing rand()&0x01 for instance, you'll be surprised.
   So, better use   ( rand()>>4 ) or ( rand()>>7 ), for instance...
 * drand48() returns a double in [0,1[ => you can scale/convert it to int 
   after. _But_ drand48() is slooow...

			Skal

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Pascal Massimino.         e-mail: Pascal DOT Massimino AT ens DOT fr
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Ecole Normale Superieure. 45, rue d'Ulm. 75005 Paris.