Easy one, I think. While the Raining Data documentation, including the most
recent (7/25) on-line documentation, suggests that the maximum "numeric
expression" for the basic function rnd() is 32000, much higher values seem
to also compile and run properly. Does anyone have the definitive answer?

Thanks,
Rob

I re-wrote the random number generator to make it more "random" in '91. It
uses a 4 byte work field, so theoretically any number +/- h8FFFFFFF or +/-
2,415,919,103

But, Basic will slap you with the precision shift. It divides your number
by the scaleing factor (usually 10,000) and mulitplies again at the end, to
keep the decimals right in an integer world.

Mark Brown

"Robert S. Lobel" <RobertLobel (AT) COX (DOT) net> wrote

Thanks, Mark. Does this mean that rnd(90,000) will produce 90,000 random
numbers? Let me know.
"Mark Brown" <mbrown (AT) drexelmgt (DOT) com> wrote

The random number generator creates a great huge number based on date and
time and a couple of huge constants. Then it divides by your "seed" and
returns the remainder.

rnd(90,000) will return 90,000 possible answers (0-89,999). Each time it's
run, it will start over and generate a whole new number. So, yes, there are
90,000 answers, but you can go a long time before you ever see them all.

Mark Brown


"Robert S. Lobel" <RobertLobel (AT) COX (DOT) net> wrote