Why not skip libc for _all_ random functions?
| From: | Lars Gunther | Date: | Sun, 08 Jul 2007 10:37:46 +0000 |
| Subject: | Why not skip libc for _all_ random functions? | ||
| Groups: | php.internals | ||
| Request: | Send a blank email to internals+get-30617@lists.php.net to get a copy of this message | ||
Hi all on this list!
My first post here.
This is a suggestion I think would not be too hard to implement:
Skip libc for all random functions. As I see it there is no reason to keep it. I can't think of any application that would break if rand() would produce better random results at a higher speed.
So basically what I am saying is this: Implement the mersenne twister in the back of all random functions.
1. Make rand() an alias to mt_rand()
2. Make srand() an alias to mt_srand()
3. Make getrandmax() an alias to mt_getrandmax()
4. Have array_rand() implement MT in the back (if it is not doing so already)
However, I am not a C-coder. I can not help out in this task myself, but thinks it makes sense and could be quite easy to do - for someone that do knows how to C.
Lars Gunther
P.S. For an introduction to who I am one might read:
http://www.webstandards.org/action/edutf/interviews/gunther-en/
and look at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/keryxgunther/143376264/