The Javascript random number generator is not being seeded.
John Haugeland is http://fullof.bs/
Forum › Bugs
The Javascript random number generator is not being seeded
Here is the relatively horrible workaround I'm using for now.
This is the L'Ecuyer generator. It generates floats with a period of 1/233280, meaning it's reasonably distributed for ints of 2^16 or smaller.
You can use this for 16-bit int values, signed or unsigned. Do *not* use this for fine valued floats, and do *not* expect good distribution out of this. This is a garbage generator, and it's using multiple string transitions
Because of the severe limitations of the ECMA float type, this probably also has severe drift issues. I chi squared it out to ten million rolls; it was fine. That's good enough for what I'm currently doing.
It's hard to imagine a less cryptographically secure generator than this hot mess I'm about to paste.
Still, if you're just doing simple stuff, if good distribution isn't very important, and if most discussion of a "good generator" is over your head, this might fit the bill.
This script attaches itself to the ECMA math object and replaces the random number generator with a dramatically inferior generator. The reason we bother at all is that unlike the standard ECMA generator, this generator can be seeded. This is desirable for two reasons: 1) the PrinceXML generator isn't being seeded right now, so this lets us temporarily step beyond that with the clock, and 2) maybe you want repeatable sequences.
This generator self-seeds from the clock.
Too long, didn't read?
Put this script in your <head> and Math.random() will start working afterwards.
Stop using this immediately after the PrinceXML one is fixed, because the real thing is far superior to this atrocity.
This is the L'Ecuyer generator. It generates floats with a period of 1/233280, meaning it's reasonably distributed for ints of 2^16 or smaller.
You can use this for 16-bit int values, signed or unsigned. Do *not* use this for fine valued floats, and do *not* expect good distribution out of this. This is a garbage generator, and it's using multiple string transitions
Because of the severe limitations of the ECMA float type, this probably also has severe drift issues. I chi squared it out to ten million rolls; it was fine. That's good enough for what I'm currently doing.
It's hard to imagine a less cryptographically secure generator than this hot mess I'm about to paste.
Still, if you're just doing simple stuff, if good distribution isn't very important, and if most discussion of a "good generator" is over your head, this might fit the bill.
This script attaches itself to the ECMA math object and replaces the random number generator with a dramatically inferior generator. The reason we bother at all is that unlike the standard ECMA generator, this generator can be seeded. This is desirable for two reasons: 1) the PrinceXML generator isn't being seeded right now, so this lets us temporarily step beyond that with the clock, and 2) maybe you want repeatable sequences.
This generator self-seeds from the clock.
// see "Efficient and Portable Combined Random Number Generators",
// Pierre L'Ecuyer, Communications of the ACM, June, 1988 (v31 #6)
function rSeedable(seed) {
// god this is horrible
// abs because of 31-bit overflow problems; only matters over the domain 0..233279, so screw it
var PrinceSafeTrunc = function(X) {
var S = X.toString();
var P = S.indexOf('.');
return Math.abs((P == -1)? X : parseInt(S.substring(0, P), 10));
}
var rSeed = (seed === undefined)? PrinceSafeTrunc(new Date().getTime()) : seed;
this.seed = function(X) {
rSeed = X;
}
this.genFloat = function() {
rSeed = PrinceSafeTrunc(((rSeed * 9301) + 49297) % 233280);
return rSeed / (233280.0);
}
}
var rng = new rSeedable();
Math.randomizer = rng;
Math.random = rng.genFloat;
Too long, didn't read?
Put this script in your <head> and Math.random() will start working afterwards.
Stop using this immediately after the PrinceXML one is fixed, because the real thing is far superior to this atrocity.
John Haugeland is http://fullof.bs/
In Prince 8.1 we have added a Math.seedRandom() function that can be used to seed the random number generator, eg. with the current time.