I need to generate a random integer between 1 and n (where n is a positive whole number) to use for a unit test. I don't need something overly complicated to ensure true randomness - just an old-fashioned random number.
How would I do that?
12 Answers
To get a random integer value between 1 and N (inclusive) you can use the following.
CInt(Math.Ceiling(Rnd() * n)) + 1
Use System.Random:
Dim MyMin As Integer = 1, MyMax As Integer = 5, My1stRandomNumber As Integer, My2ndRandomNumber As Integer
' Create a random number generator
Dim Generator As System.Random = New System.Random()
' Get a random number >= MyMin and <= MyMax
My1stRandomNumber = Generator.Next(MyMin, MyMax + 1) ' Note: Next function returns numbers _less than_ max, so pass in max + 1 to include max as a possible value
' Get another random number (don't create a new generator, use the same one)
My2ndRandomNumber = Generator.Next(MyMin, MyMax + 1)
Public Function RandomNumber(ByVal n As Integer) As Integer
'initialize random number generator
Dim r As New Random(System.DateTime.Now.Millisecond)
Return r.Next(1, n)
End Function
Just for reference, VB NET Fuction definition for RND and RANDOMIZE (which should give the same results of BASIC (1980 years) and all versions after is:
Public NotInheritable Class VBMath
' Methods
Private Shared Function GetTimer() As Single
Dim now As DateTime = DateTime.Now
Return CSng((((((60 * now.Hour) + now.Minute) * 60) + now.Second) + (CDbl(now.Millisecond) / 1000)))
End Function
Public Shared Sub Randomize()
Dim timer As Single = VBMath.GetTimer
Dim projectData As ProjectData = ProjectData.GetProjectData
Dim rndSeed As Integer = projectData.m_rndSeed
Dim num3 As Integer = BitConverter.ToInt32(BitConverter.GetBytes(timer), 0)
num3 = (((num3 And &HFFFF) Xor (num3 >> &H10)) << 8)
rndSeed = ((rndSeed And -16776961) Or num3)
projectData.m_rndSeed = rndSeed
End Sub
Public Shared Sub Randomize(ByVal Number As Double)
Dim num2 As Integer
Dim projectData As ProjectData = ProjectData.GetProjectData
Dim rndSeed As Integer = projectData.m_rndSeed
If BitConverter.IsLittleEndian Then
num2 = BitConverter.ToInt32(BitConverter.GetBytes(Number), 4)
Else
num2 = BitConverter.ToInt32(BitConverter.GetBytes(Number), 0)
End If
num2 = (((num2 And &HFFFF) Xor (num2 >> &H10)) << 8)
rndSeed = ((rndSeed And -16776961) Or num2)
projectData.m_rndSeed = rndSeed
End Sub
Public Shared Function Rnd() As Single
Return VBMath.Rnd(1!)
End Function
Public Shared Function Rnd(ByVal Number As Single) As Single
Dim projectData As ProjectData = ProjectData.GetProjectData
Dim rndSeed As Integer = projectData.m_rndSeed
If (Number <> 0) Then
If (Number < 0) Then
Dim num1 As UInt64 = (BitConverter.ToInt32(BitConverter.GetBytes(Number), 0) And &HFFFFFFFF)
rndSeed = CInt(((num1 + (num1 >> &H18)) And CULng(&HFFFFFF)))
End If
rndSeed = CInt((((rndSeed * &H43FD43FD) + &HC39EC3) And &HFFFFFF))
End If
projectData.m_rndSeed = rndSeed
Return (CSng(rndSeed) / 1.677722E+07!)
End Function
End Class
While the Random CLASS is:
Public Class Random
' Methods
<__DynamicallyInvokable> _
Public Sub New()
Me.New(Environment.TickCount)
End Sub
<__DynamicallyInvokable> _
Public Sub New(ByVal Seed As Integer)
Me.SeedArray = New Integer(&H38 - 1) {}
Dim num4 As Integer = If((Seed = -2147483648), &H7FFFFFFF, Math.Abs(Seed))
Dim num2 As Integer = (&H9A4EC86 - num4)
Me.SeedArray(&H37) = num2
Dim num3 As Integer = 1
Dim i As Integer
For i = 1 To &H37 - 1
Dim index As Integer = ((&H15 * i) Mod &H37)
Me.SeedArray(index) = num3
num3 = (num2 - num3)
If (num3 < 0) Then
num3 = (num3 + &H7FFFFFFF)
End If
num2 = Me.SeedArray(index)
Next i
Dim j As Integer
For j = 1 To 5 - 1
Dim k As Integer
For k = 1 To &H38 - 1
Me.SeedArray(k) = (Me.SeedArray(k) - Me.SeedArray((1 + ((k + 30) Mod &H37))))
If (Me.SeedArray(k) < 0) Then
Me.SeedArray(k) = (Me.SeedArray(k) + &H7FFFFFFF)
End If
Next k
Next j
Me.inext = 0
Me.inextp = &H15
Seed = 1
End Sub
Private Function GetSampleForLargeRange() As Double
Dim num As Integer = Me.InternalSample
If ((Me.InternalSample Mod 2) = 0) Then
num = -num
End If
Dim num2 As Double = num
num2 = (num2 + 2147483646)
Return (num2 / 4294967293)
End Function
Private Function InternalSample() As Integer
Dim inext As Integer = Me.inext
Dim inextp As Integer = Me.inextp
If (++inext >= &H38) Then
inext = 1
End If
If (++inextp >= &H38) Then
inextp = 1
End If
Dim num As Integer = (Me.SeedArray(inext) - Me.SeedArray(inextp))
If (num = &H7FFFFFFF) Then
num -= 1
End If
If (num < 0) Then
num = (num + &H7FFFFFFF)
End If
Me.SeedArray(inext) = num
Me.inext = inext
Me.inextp = inextp
Return num
End Function
<__DynamicallyInvokable> _
Public Overridable Function [Next]() As Integer
Return Me.InternalSample
End Function
<__DynamicallyInvokable> _
Public Overridable Function [Next](ByVal maxValue As Integer) As Integer
If (maxValue < 0) Then
Dim values As Object() = New Object() { "maxValue" }
Throw New ArgumentOutOfRangeException("maxValue", Environment.GetResourceString("ArgumentOutOfRange_MustBePositive", values))
End If
Return CInt((Me.Sample * maxValue))
End Function
<__DynamicallyInvokable> _
Public Overridable Function [Next](ByVal minValue As Integer, ByVal maxValue As Integer) As Integer
If (minValue > maxValue) Then
Dim values As Object() = New Object() { "minValue", "maxValue" }
Throw New ArgumentOutOfRangeException("minValue", Environment.GetResourceString("Argument_MinMaxValue", values))
End If
Dim num As Long = (maxValue - minValue)
If (num <= &H7FFFFFFF) Then
Return (CInt((Me.Sample * num)) + minValue)
End If
Return (CInt(CLng((Me.GetSampleForLargeRange * num))) + minValue)
End Function
<__DynamicallyInvokable> _
Public Overridable Sub NextBytes(ByVal buffer As Byte())
If (buffer Is Nothing) Then
Throw New ArgumentNullException("buffer")
End If
Dim i As Integer
For i = 0 To buffer.Length - 1
buffer(i) = CByte((Me.InternalSample Mod &H100))
Next i
End Sub
<__DynamicallyInvokable> _
Public Overridable Function NextDouble() As Double
Return Me.Sample
End Function
<__DynamicallyInvokable> _
Protected Overridable Function Sample() As Double
Return (Me.InternalSample * 4.6566128752457969E-10)
End Function
' Fields
Private inext As Integer
Private inextp As Integer
Private Const MBIG As Integer = &H7FFFFFFF
Private Const MSEED As Integer = &H9A4EC86
Private Const MZ As Integer = 0
Private SeedArray As Integer()
End Class
I see a lot of answers of users that are not satisfied with using System.Random.
Despite the fact that I personally would still use System.Random, I was thinking about a way to use a GUID as the base for a random value. A GUID can be converted to a byte array using its ToByteArray method, and the resulting byte array can be converted to a numeric value using a BitConverter.
'Function for reuse (min is inclusive and max is exclusive)
Function GetRandom(min As Integer, max As Integer) As Integer
Return BitConverter.ToUInt64(Guid.NewGuid.ToByteArray) Mod (max - min) + min
End Function
'one-liner specific for your purpose (n is exclusive)
BitConverter.ToUInt64(Guid.NewGuid.ToByteArray) Mod (n - 1) + 1
Note that this is just a little thought experiment. I haven't tested the performance, nor have I investigated the actual "randomness" of the results. But for your purpose, it might just do the job.
The accepted answer uses the Microsoft.VisualBasic.VBMath.Rnd method, which indeed offers a simple and attractive oneliner, but I personally would avoid writing new code that uses the Microsoft.VisualBasic namespace.
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