RANDOMIZER
                by Rick Kephart 3/20/95

  Here is a short, fast, efficient way of finding random numbers, without
repeating, as high as 255 in a row. It will then automatically start over
again finding a new arrangement of random numbers. It is a 1-line subroutine
in C-128 BASIC, or 2 lines on the C-64. The first time it is called, it takes
slightly more than 1 second if there are 255 numbers to choose from (less for
a smaller range), and then just 1-2 jiffies for the rest of the numbers, until
it has to start over.

  It uses 2 variables, which are here named U and V, used only within the
subroutine. They must be renamed if the program was using variables with those
names. There is also a variable R$, which cannot be changed by the program
calling the subroutine. If R$ is used somewhere else, give that string
variable another name everywhere it occurs in the subroutine.
  The random value is returned after a GOSUB to this line, as variable R. 
You can replace R with any variable name you want.

  Replace whatever line number you use with the '10' in 'GOTO 10' in the
sample lines.
  If you have less than 255 things to choose from, replace the '255' in
'1 TO 255' in the sample lines, with the highest number to choose from.

  Here is the single line subroutine for the C-128

10 U=LEN(R$):IF U=0 THEN FOR U=1 TO 255:R$=R$+CHR$(U):NEXT:GOTO 10:ELSE:
V=RND(0)*U+1:R=ASC(MID$(R$,V,1)):R$=LEFT$(R$,V-1)+RIGHT$(R$,U-V+1):RETURN

  Here is the 2-line subroutine to use on the C-64

10 U=LEN(R$):IF U=0 THEN FOR U=1 TO 255:R$=R$+CHR$(U):NEXT:GOTO 10
20 V=RND(0)*U+1:R=ASC(MID$(R$,V,1)):R$=LEFT$(R$,V-1)+RIGHT$(R$,L-V+1):RETURN

  HOW IT WORKS

  R$ is set up as a string of numbers, in CHR$ form, in order from 1 to 255
or however many numbers you have to choose from.

  U is the length of that string. If it is 0, then either R$ has not been set
up yet or it has been used up. If necessary, the string R$ is generated (this
takes less than 2 seconds).

  V is made some random number from 1 to however many choices are left: from
255 (or the maximum) numbers to choose from, to as few as 1 choice left.

  Then, MID$ is used to find whatever number is at that spot in R$. ASC turns
it into a simple number.

  Finally, that number that was chosen is removed from R$. This is done by
combining whatever is on the left up to that number to everything on the right
after that number. So each time after that the subroutine is called, all the
choices are there except whatever numbers have already been selected.

end of file

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