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Bug #20793 big selection with array_rand() works bad EVEN with srand()
Submitted: 2002-12-03 11:21 UTC Modified: 2002-12-03 15:24 UTC
Votes:2
Avg. Score:1.0 ± 0.0
Reproduced:1 of 1 (100.0%)
Same Version:1 (100.0%)
Same OS:1 (100.0%)
From: dave at arthistory dot cc Assigned:
Status: Not a bug Package: Arrays related
PHP Version: 4.2.3 OS: Linux (redhat6.2) 2.2.14-5.0smp
Private report: No CVE-ID: None
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From: dave at arthistory dot cc
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 [2002-12-03 11:21 UTC] dave at arthistory dot cc 
I use array_rand() to randomize an array that can have three different sizes, 450, 800 and 1152. With 450 array_rand works great. But when I try to select 800 and 1152 indexes with array_rand(), array_rand seems to seed higher number. I everycase I always get the 25 last indexes picked! Pretty weird! It seems to favor the last number!

I have tried:
	srand ((float) microtime() * 10000000);
	srand ((float) microtime() * 1000000);

But that didn't helped:

Here's my code:

if($bricks==1) $tempArrValue=450;
if($bricks==2) $tempArrValue=800;
if($bricks==3) $tempArrValue=1152;
	
$brickArray = array();
for($i=1;$i<=$tempArrValue;$i++){
	$brickArray[$i]=$i;	
}
srand ((float) microtime() * 10000000);
$brickArray2 = array_rand($brickArray, sizeof($brickArray)-3);
for($i=0;$i<sizeof($brickArray2);$i++){
	mysql_query("insert into puzzle_bricks values(0,$countryIndex,$i, " . $brickArray2[$i] . ");");
}

My conclusion is that their are some problems when seeding random numbers for array_rand when you are selecting an array with more than 800 indexes as output.

I mean I have solved the issue by making my own array_rand function, but I just wanted to help makeing PHP a better product.

Best Regards Dave,

Ps, I love PHP, Ds

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 [2002-12-03 11:24 UTC] dave at arthistory dot cc 
http://www.arthistory.cc/info.php for my php info
 [2002-12-03 11:28 UTC] sniper@php.net 
Please try using this CVS snapshot:

  http://snaps.php.net/php4-latest.tar.gz
 
For Windows:
 
  http://snaps.php.net/win32/php4-win32-latest.zip
 [2002-12-03 11:35 UTC] dave at arthistory dot cc 
I will test the snapshot this weekend, I have no access to a test machine earlier

Ps, array_rand($brickArray, sizeof($brickArray)-3);
should be array_rand($brickArray, sizeof($brickArray));,
the error occur with both! Ds
 [2002-12-03 12:35 UTC] msopacua@php.net 
Here's something to test properly:
<?php
function printline($string)
{
        static $nl = -1;
        if($nl == -1)
                $nl = (isset($_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'])) ? "<br />\n" : "\n";

        print("$string$nl");
}

$bricks = (isset($argv[1])) ? $argv[1] : 1;
if($bricks==1) $tempArrValue=450;
if($bricks==2) $tempArrValue=800;
if($bricks==3) $tempArrValue=1152;
        
$brickArray = array();
for($i=1;$i<=$tempArrValue;$i++){
        $brickArray[$i]=$i;     
}
srand ((float) microtime() * 10000000);
$brickArray2 = array_rand($brickArray, sizeof($brickArray));
for($i=0;$i<sizeof($brickArray2);$i++){
        printline("$i => {$brickArray2[$i]}");
}
?>

I can't reproduce it - in fact, the following quick-hack-shell-tester doesn't yield any output:
#!/bin/ksh

typeset -i COUNTER=1

while [ $COUNTER -lt 100 ]; do
        ./test_array_rand.php 3 | awk '{print $3}' | sort | perl -n -e 'print if $_ eq $previous; $previous=$_'
        COUNTER=`expr ${COUNTER} + 1`
done

You should probably look at the query, rather than at rand. But then again - if the above yields output, report back.
 [2002-12-03 15:24 UTC] dave at arthistory dot cc 
I'm terrible sorry the cause is most certain mysqlbased, for some reason the first 100'rows contains almost 50% of number betweens 1000-1152 (from a random selection of 1-1152) weird.

But the with the script:
$tempArrValue=1000;
$brickArray = array();
for($i=1;$i<=$tempArrValue;$i++){
        $brickArray[$i]=$i;     
}
srand ((float) microtime() * 10000000);
$brickArray2 = array_rand($brickArray, sizeof($brickArray));
$temp = 0;
for($i=0;$i<=250;$i++){
$temp = $temp + $brickArray2[$i];
}
echo $temp / 250;

I did get a correct answer, recieved number around 500.

Again I'm terrible sorry for taking your time, please contact me of you want me to test something other, or anything else I can do.

Best Regards Dave
 
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