Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp From: Kev Subject: Re: time() frequency In-Reply-To: <83ogcv8lk2.fsf@mercury.st.hmc.edu> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Message-ID: Sender: nntp AT freenet DOT buffalo DOT edu NNTP-Posting-Host: freenet.buffalo.edu Organization: Buffalo Free-Net References: <83ogcv8lk2 DOT fsf AT mercury DOT st DOT hmc DOT edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 04:07:46 GMT Lines: 40 To: djgpp AT Delorie DOT com DJ-Gateway: from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com X-Mailing-List: djgpp AT delorie DOT com X-Unsubscribes-To: listserv AT delorie DOT com Precedence: bulk > > Hello Fellow DJGPPers! > > > > I have a question concerning the DJGPP time() function. > > Can you tell me the frequency in which time() returns the time... > > Is it 1 second increments? I'm trying to settle an argument with a > > co-worker, who argued that it is in Microsecond increments. > > Yes, it's in seconds. (Seconds since January 1, 1970 if I recall > correctly.) Okay...That answers a part of the question.... Actually, This is an argument that grown out of a function that uses the time() function to seed a Random number generator... You see, me and my collegue is developing a program that would generate random numbers for use in a random file display utility (Well, the idea is this...You want the user to be presented with a text file...One out of...let's say, 4...and should be presented as randomly as possible) Well, the problem is, I use DJGPP and the srand(time(0)); call to seed the random generator, while my collegue uses Borland C++ 5.0 and a randomize() function in his stdlib.h...After I chewed him out for using a propietary non-standard function to seed the random number, I pointed out that while using the DJGPP srand(time(NULL)) call, the random function if called in very rapid succession would yield preictable results, while using rawclock() (18.2 ticks/sec) would yield marginally better results...however, he claims that time() works in the Microsecond level and should not return predictable random results... The problem is...I tested the code in DJGPP and MSVC6 and they both yeild precdictable results if the program is run in less than 1 seconds of time...While I did not test the Borland Code (Because I don't have Borland, and the Borland code won't compile under DJGPP) I cannot say for sure whether my collegue's right (Well, partly right...Perhaps Borland's C++ 5 does have a Microsecond level time() function) or I'm right (That all time() functions for x86 machines run on the Second level) can anyone with experience on Cross-compiler development please shed some light to this?