Why should I cast time when I call srand? I've been told to do it but I don't know why. Won't the number from time be converted to unsigned automatically?
Code:#include <stdio.h> #include <stdlib.h> #include <time.h> int main(void) { int i; /* Why the cast? */ srand((unsigned)time(NULL)); for ( i = 0; i < 10; ++i ) { printf("%d\n", rand()); } return 0; }
That cast may not even be correct. I suggest that you read Prelude's article on Using rand() and also her article on random numbers.
Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart WayOriginally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
I think it's out of my league.But that still doesn't answer my question. This is all I found.
She used the cast too but didn't say why it's needed.The first issue is that time_t is a restricted type, and may not be meaningfully converted to unsigned int. That is not a terribly big issue as I have yet to see a system where it would fail to work correctly, and I do not know anyone who has either.
This is the prototype of srand.
I think it's out of my league.
The parameter that srand accepts is an unsigned int.Code:void srand ( unsigned int seed );
This is the prototype of time.
It returns a value of type time_t.Code:time_t time ( time_t * timer );
This is what is said about type time_t in wikipedia.
According to this, time_t could be implemented as a signed or unsigned int or long or etc...The time_t datatype is a data type in the ISO C library defined for storing system time values. Such values are returned from the standard time() library function. This type is a typedef defined in the standard <time.h> header. ISO C defines time_t as an arithmetic type, but does not specify any particular type, range, resolution, or encoding for it. Also unspecified are the meanings of arithmetic operations applied to time values.
In an intent to make sure that srand will get the right type value, people cast it.
Last edited by Aia; 01-08-2008 at 09:20 PM.
She gave the common example of how people used it, and stated that it might not be portable. What she recommended instead is to hash the bytes of the time_t returned by time().She used the cast too but didn't say why it's needed.
Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
>She used the cast too but didn't say why it's needed.
It's not needed (except possibly to silence a warning). Either way the value will be converted to unsigned int, but either way, that conversion may fail miserably due to the lack of restrictions on time_t. If time_t is a double, for example, and the value is outside the bounds of unsigned int, the behavior is undefined with or without the cast.
My best code is written with the delete key.
