🚀 go-pugleaf

Ed_DeWan@adobeforums.com wrote:
> Is there a way to generate true random numbers in PostScript level III?
Of course - even in the level 2.
Host-based PostScript interpreters can read files,
for instance /dev/random

Regards,
Alex Cherepanov

Thank you for your reply to my post about random number generators. It had occurred to me that external files might be the only way to solve my problem, but file reading was something that I had never attempted. After a couple of days struggle with it, I have finally got the hang of it, and it will do the job, albeit in a clumsy way. What I don't understand is what purpose the rand function is intended to serve. I can't think of any!

The rand operator is similar to the rand function known in UNIX ("simple random number generator") and should be initialized by executing the srand operator to define the initial seed.

Helge

So, you have to supply your own seed, presumably "at random"? I have solved this problem by using Perl to generate a file of random numbers suitable for my PostScript application, and then reading them in with the read command, as per Alex's suggestion.

In article <3bc2c286.3@webcrossing.la2eafNXanI>,  wrote:
> So, you have to supply your own seed, presumably "at random"? 
> I have solved this problem by using Perl to generate a file 
> of random numbers
>
       I haven't noticed what sort of system you're working on. 
Most unix-alikes (Unices, BSDs, OS-X for Macs, Linuxens, and 
names too numerous to mention) have a system device that 
accumulates randomness from timing of system events (keystrokes, 
mouse movements, network packets), stores randomness in a system 
parameter across re-boots, and generally provides quite good 
quality randomness for the asking without the user needing to go 
into making their own randomness. 
dd -if /dev/random -of /path/to/destination [various parameters]
       
       Windows also provides such services, but they don't seem 
to be as user-visible as on the unices. See for example 
msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.random(VS.80).aspx 
(it's a damned slow page to load).

-- 
 Aidan Karley, FGS
 Aberdeen, Scotland
 Written at Wed, 10 Jan 2007 01:55 GMT, but posted later.