"DS" == D Stimits <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
DS> If it uses the same seed from the connection, then all randoms within DS> a connect that has not reconnected will use the same seed. Which means DS> the same sequence will be generated each time, which is why it is DS> pseudo-random and not random. For it to be random not just the first DS> call of a new connection, but among all calls of new connection, it DS> would have to seed it based on time at the moment of query and not at DS> the moment of connect. A pseudo-random generator using the same seed DS> will generate the same sequence.
You clearly demonstrate you do not understand the purpose of a seed in a PRNG, nor how PRNG's in general work. You want to seed it once and only once per process, not every time you issue a query. And nobody said to use the same seed every time, either.
Sorry, at the time I don't believe PRNG was part of the conversation, that came after (maybe I missed that). What I saw were functions based on one-way hashes...is that incorrect? For one-way hashes and pseudo-random generators using some form of hash a different seed should be used or else the pattern will be the same when using the same data. From the man page on srandom():
The srandom() function sets its argument as the seed for a new sequence of pseudo-random
integers to be returned by random(). These sequences are repeatable by calling srandom()
with the same seed value. If no seed value is provided, the random() function is automat-
ically seeded with a value of 1.
The srandom() caught my eye in the earlier email, not PRNG. You are welcome to re-use srandom() without a new seed if you want.
D. Stimits, stimits AT comcast DOT net
---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
TIP 3: if posting/reading through Usenet, please send an appropriate
subscribe-nomail command to [EMAIL PROTECTED] so that your
message can get through to the mailing list cleanly
