Generating random numbers in Objective-C

Question

I\'m a Java head mainly, and I want a way to generate a pseudo-random number between 0 and 74. In Java I would use the method:

Random.nextInt(74)


        

Answer 1

I wrote my own random number utility class just so that I would have something that functioned a bit more like Math.random() in Java. It has just two functions, and it's all made in C.

Header file:

//Random.h
void initRandomSeed(long firstSeed);
float nextRandomFloat();

Implementation file:

//Random.m
static unsigned long seed;

void initRandomSeed(long firstSeed)
{ 
    seed = firstSeed;
}

float nextRandomFloat()
{
    return (((seed= 1664525*seed + 1013904223)>>16) / (float)0x10000);
}

It's a pretty classic way of generating pseudo-randoms. In my app delegate I call:

#import "Random.h"

- (void)applicationDidFinishLaunching:(UIApplication *)application
{
    initRandomSeed( (long) [[NSDate date] timeIntervalSince1970] );
    //Do other initialization junk.
}

Then later I just say:

float myRandomNumber = nextRandomFloat() * 74;

Note that this method returns a random number between 0.0f (inclusive) and 1.0f (exclusive).

Answer 2

This will give you a floating point number between 0 and 47

float low_bound = 0;      
float high_bound = 47;
float rndValue = (((float)arc4random()/0x100000000)*(high_bound-low_bound)+low_bound);

Or just simply

float rndValue = (((float)arc4random()/0x100000000)*47);

Both lower and upper bound can be negative as well. The example code below gives you a random number between -35.76 and +12.09

float low_bound = -35.76;      
float high_bound = 12.09;
float rndValue = (((float)arc4random()/0x100000000)*(high_bound-low_bound)+low_bound);

Convert result to a rounder Integer value:

int intRndValue = (int)(rndValue + 0.5);

Answer 3

Better to use arc4random_uniform. However, this isn't available below iOS 4.3. Luckily iOS will bind this symbol at runtime, not at compile time (so don't use the #if preprocessor directive to check if it's available).

The best way to determine if arc4random_uniform is available is to do something like this:

#include <stdlib.h>

int r = 0;
if (arc4random_uniform != NULL)
    r = arc4random_uniform (74);
else
    r = (arc4random() % 74);

Answer 4

You should use the arc4random_uniform() function. It uses a superior algorithm to rand. You don't even need to set a seed.

#include <stdlib.h>
// ...
// ...
int r = arc4random_uniform(74);

The arc4random man page:

NAME
     arc4random, arc4random_stir, arc4random_addrandom -- arc4 random number generator

LIBRARY
     Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

SYNOPSIS
     #include <stdlib.h>

     u_int32_t
     arc4random(void);

     void
     arc4random_stir(void);

     void
     arc4random_addrandom(unsigned char *dat, int datlen);

DESCRIPTION
     The arc4random() function uses the key stream generator employed by the arc4 cipher, which uses 8*8 8
     bit S-Boxes.  The S-Boxes can be in about (2**1700) states.  The arc4random() function returns pseudo-
     random numbers in the range of 0 to (2**32)-1, and therefore has twice the range of rand(3) and
     random(3).

     The arc4random_stir() function reads data from /dev/urandom and uses it to permute the S-Boxes via
     arc4random_addrandom().

     There is no need to call arc4random_stir() before using arc4random(), since arc4random() automatically
     initializes itself.

EXAMPLES
     The following produces a drop-in replacement for the traditional rand() and random() functions using
     arc4random():

           #define foo4random() (arc4random() % ((unsigned)RAND_MAX + 1))

Answer 5

Use the arc4random_uniform(upper_bound) function to generate a random number within a range. The following will generate a number between 0 and 73 inclusive.

arc4random_uniform(74)

arc4random_uniform(upper_bound) avoids modulo bias as described in the man page:

arc4random_uniform() will return a uniformly distributed random number less than upper_bound. arc4random_uniform() is recommended over constructions like ``arc4random() % upper_bound'' as it avoids "modulo bias" when the upper bound is not a power of two.

Answer 6

//The following example is going to generate a number between 0 and 73.

int value;
value = (arc4random() % 74);
NSLog(@"random number: %i ", value);

//In order to generate 1 to 73, do the following:
int value1;
value1 = (arc4random() % 73) + 1;
NSLog(@"random number step 2: %i ", value1);

Output:

• random number: 72

• random number step 2: 52