Pseudo random number generators are never 100% perfect and susceptible to repeats and "patterning". Hence the reason for a good seeding method.
I have always found that seeding with a time-based mathematical equation that returned a smaller decimal has had more interesting results than throwing in some huge number. C. Hatton Humphrey, Developer Fisher, Towne & Associates 716-839-2141 x336 [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -----Original Message----- > From: John B. White [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2002 4:21 PM > To: CF-Talk > Subject: Re: Random row from SQL > > > Don't most programs actually have a random number table that they draw the > random numbers from? Then every time you reset the software, > they begin pulling > the same random numbers? We got around this one time by using > the IP address, > stripping the periods...raising to a power of two (or something > similar) and > using the resulting number as the random seed. Still not truly random but > seemed (at the time 4+ years ago) "more" random. > > --JW > > > > Wang Suh wrote: > > > You should know that the random function in SQL Server really, really > > sucks. > > Unless you can seed it with a number that changes constantly every ti > > me > > before you call the function, you'll get lots of unrandom numbers. > ______________________________________________________________________ Get Your Own Dedicated Windows 2000 Server PIII 800 / 256 MB RAM / 40 GB HD / 20 GB MO/XFER Instant Activation · $99/Month · Free Setup http://www.pennyhost.com/redirect.cfm?adcode=coldfusionb FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-talk@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
