Needed a series of random numbers
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I needed a series of random numbers, so I used the following code:
Dim t As Integer = Environment.TickCount
Dim n(9) As Double
For i As Integer = 0 To 9
Dim r As New Random(t)
n(i) = r.Next
NextYou would not believe the facepalm I gave myself when I saw what I did wrong. :doh:
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That was my first thought when I saw the post. The only difference is that he needs to roll the dice 9 times :laugh:.
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I needed a series of random numbers, so I used the following code:
Dim t As Integer = Environment.TickCount
Dim n(9) As Double
For i As Integer = 0 To 9
Dim r As New Random(t)
n(i) = r.Next
NextYou would not believe the facepalm I gave myself when I saw what I did wrong. :doh:
Don't be too hard on yourself. Most people never realize what the 'pseudo' in 'pseudo random number generator' is about. Just turn things around and it may even come in handy at times. Do you remember the old game Elite? The game had about five galaxies with 256 star systems each. Each system had its own coordinates, a description of the planet and inhabitants and individual prices and stocks for all goods. A good old C64 would have to sacrifice a good part of its tiny memory to store all that. I'm quite sure they did not. For example, you might generate a hashcode from the coordinates of a system. Then you initialize a random number generator with this hash code and use it to randomly generate the parameters of that system. Since the hashcode will always be the same for that system, the result will be the same every time and can be recreated at will. This completely eliminates the need to store any of the static information. Just the things which are variable, like the current stocks, need to be stored. For a 'small' game I'm working on I have made a star map with 4 billiion universes with up to 4 billion galaxies, each with 4 billion x 4 billion x 4 billion coordinate points. Each coordinate point has a chance to contain a solar system, each with one or more stars of different types, a variable number of planets of many types and the planets may also have moons. Memory or storage costs: The XML configuration files to work out a convincing star system.
"Dark the dark side is. Very dark..." - Yoda ---
"Shut up, Yoda, and just make yourself another toast." - Obi Wan Kenobimodified on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 9:43 AM
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Don't be too hard on yourself. Most people never realize what the 'pseudo' in 'pseudo random number generator' is about. Just turn things around and it may even come in handy at times. Do you remember the old game Elite? The game had about five galaxies with 256 star systems each. Each system had its own coordinates, a description of the planet and inhabitants and individual prices and stocks for all goods. A good old C64 would have to sacrifice a good part of its tiny memory to store all that. I'm quite sure they did not. For example, you might generate a hashcode from the coordinates of a system. Then you initialize a random number generator with this hash code and use it to randomly generate the parameters of that system. Since the hashcode will always be the same for that system, the result will be the same every time and can be recreated at will. This completely eliminates the need to store any of the static information. Just the things which are variable, like the current stocks, need to be stored. For a 'small' game I'm working on I have made a star map with 4 billiion universes with up to 4 billion galaxies, each with 4 billion x 4 billion x 4 billion coordinate points. Each coordinate point has a chance to contain a solar system, each with one or more stars of different types, a variable number of planets of many types and the planets may also have moons. Memory or storage costs: The XML configuration files to work out a convincing star system.
"Dark the dark side is. Very dark..." - Yoda ---
"Shut up, Yoda, and just make yourself another toast." - Obi Wan Kenobimodified on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 9:43 AM
The whole point was I know better... it's just sometimes I get ahead of myself when I type, and then when I see what I did I'm going "WTF?". Sometimes, you just know better, and do it anyway. :)
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The whole point was I know better... it's just sometimes I get ahead of myself when I type, and then when I see what I did I'm going "WTF?". Sometimes, you just know better, and do it anyway. :)
Sure, but then I would not really see it as something to be ashamed about. Such things do happen. Real code horrors come from people who don't know better and don't think twice about what they did. Many of them simply are inexperienced and will learn in time.
"Dark the dark side is. Very dark..." - Yoda ---
"Shut up, Yoda, and just make yourself another toast." - Obi Wan Kenobi -
Sure, but then I would not really see it as something to be ashamed about. Such things do happen. Real code horrors come from people who don't know better and don't think twice about what they did. Many of them simply are inexperienced and will learn in time.
"Dark the dark side is. Very dark..." - Yoda ---
"Shut up, Yoda, and just make yourself another toast." - Obi Wan KenobiThat may be true, but there are days when you can identify me by the palmprint on my forehead. :laugh:
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I needed a series of random numbers, so I used the following code:
Dim t As Integer = Environment.TickCount
Dim n(9) As Double
For i As Integer = 0 To 9
Dim r As New Random(t)
n(i) = r.Next
NextYou would not believe the facepalm I gave myself when I saw what I did wrong. :doh:
Its quite rare that you get a post of "Look what I did", in this forum. Have a 5 :)
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
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Its quite rare that you get a post of "Look what I did", in this forum. Have a 5 :)
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
I screw up as much as anyone... I just consider it a plus that I notice when I do. Of course, if I don't notice a mistake, did I really screw up? I'm going with no. :)
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I'm sure you know the err, but some other points: 0. If you need random, use at least two unrelated sources to seed the sequence. I use a combo of ticks from the clock and position of the mouse. 1. Within an application only ever instantiate a single randomiser and do it as the first step of the run.
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
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I needed a series of random numbers, so I used the following code:
Dim t As Integer = Environment.TickCount
Dim n(9) As Double
For i As Integer = 0 To 9
Dim r As New Random(t)
n(i) = r.Next
NextYou would not believe the facepalm I gave myself when I saw what I did wrong. :doh:
I think the error was naming the variables as "n", "t" or "i". ;P