On 15.06.2012 1:37, jerro wrote:
Assuming API changes are permissible (a big IF), I think the way to do
it might be something like
auto randomSample(R, UniformRNG = Random, seed)(R r, size_t n, seed s
= unpredictableSeed)
... meaning that the user has an option to specify an RNG _type_
without specifying a seed, and that the seed can be either
unpredictable or specific.
The user could also not specify a RNG type, in which case the default
RNG type would be used, but would be seeded unpredictably.
Issues with copying rngs are not unique to randomSample - anyone
who uses random number generators will run into them
sooner or later. So the problem is not that randomSample takes
a rng as a parameter - it's that rngs are value types. The
proper solution would be to make them reference types.
Good insight.
I don't
know if that can be done now as it would surely break some code,
but people can use pointers to rngs instead of rngs themselves.
I think not doing that will cause bugs irregardless of how
randomSample works. I know it would cause bugs in my code.
--
Dmitry Olshansky
