Re: random number generation

[Andrew <eagletalon@chartermi.net>]

Robert I. Eachus wrote:
> Andrew wrote:
> 
>> any help is appreciated.
> 
> 
> Another thing.  If you don't call Reset for the random number generator, 
> you will get the same sequence of random numbers every time you run the 
> program.  This is intentional.  (It makes debugging easier.)
> 
> So once you have gotten far enough along, right after the begin put in
> 
> Reset(A_Generator); -- or whatever you called your generator.
> 
> That will set the generator based on the computer's real-time clock, and 
> shouldn't repeat a seed during the next 50 years. (Unless you run your 
> program on two different computers.  There are other ways of 
> initializing the generator to be used when you have multiple generators, 
> each running on its own CPU.)
> 


thank you again for everyones help.

this is one of the reasons why I am a firm believer in newsgroups...a 
person has a question, and they can find an answer.

here is the working code.. just in case anyone is/was curious:
===============================
-- This program is to open file 'Map2', then print a
-- bunch of characters 'x' in the form of a square.
-- It will also randomly grab a number from 1 - 4.


with TEXT_IO, ADA.NUMERICS.DISCRETE_RANDOM;
use TEXT_IO;
procedure Mazecreate is
    spot: CHARACTER:='x';
    spott: CHARACTER:='T';
    sitt: Boolean:=True;
    orig: INTEGER:=5;  -- point of origin for map
    down: Integer:=10;  -- down map
    acros: INTEGER:=11; -- across map
    row: INTEGER:=1;
    col: INTEGER:=1;
    X: INTEGER;
    map_file:FILE_TYPE;

    package Number_IO is new INTEGER_IO(INTEGER);
    use Number_IO;
    package FLOAT1_IO is new FLOAT_IO(FLOAT);
    use FLOAT1_IO;
   subtype Options is INTEGER range 1 .. 4;
    package Generate_Options is new
          Ada.Numerics.Discrete_Random(Options);
    use Generate_Options;
    A_Generator : Generate_Options.Generator;
 

Begin
 

Reset (A_Generator);
    X:=Generate_Options.Random(A_Generator);
   Put_Line("Selected option is" & Options'image(X));
    Create (map_file, out_FILE, "Map2");
 

    -- *********************
    -- **   section to    **
    -- **   create the    **
    -- ** square of Stars **
    -- *********************
 

    if IS_OPEN(map_file) then
       for i in 1..down loop
          for j in 1..acros loop
          put (map_file, spot);
          end loop;
        NEW_LINE(map_file);
       end loop;
       Put(map_file, spott);
       CLOSE (map_file);
 

   else
      Put_Line("Map file didn't open .. Killing Program");
      Return;
   end if;
 

end Mazecreate;
==========================