How to generate a random number in C++?

Question

I\'m trying to make a game with dice, and I need to have random numbers in it (to simulate the sides of the die. I know how to make it between 1 and 6). Using

Answer 1

If you are using boost libs you can obtain a random generator in this way:

#include 
#include 

// Used in randomization
#include 
#include 
#include 
#include 

using namespace std;
using namespace boost;

int current_time_nanoseconds(){
    struct timespec tm;
    clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &tm);
    return tm.tv_nsec;
}

int main (int argc, char* argv[]) {
    unsigned int dice_rolls = 12;
    random::mt19937 rng(current_time_nanoseconds());
    random::uniform_int_distribution<> six(1,6);

    for(unsigned int i=0; i

Where the function current_time_nanoseconds() gives the current time in nanoseconds which is used as a seed.

---

Here is a more general class to get random integers and dates in a range:

#include 
#include 
#include 
#include 
#include 
#include "boost/date_time/posix_time/posix_time.hpp"
#include "boost/date_time/gregorian/gregorian.hpp"


using namespace std;
using namespace boost;
using namespace boost::posix_time;
using namespace boost::gregorian;


class Randomizer {
private:
    static const bool debug_mode = false;
    random::mt19937 rng_;

    // The private constructor so that the user can not directly instantiate
    Randomizer() {
        if(debug_mode==true){
            this->rng_ = random::mt19937();
        }else{
            this->rng_ = random::mt19937(current_time_nanoseconds());
        }
    };

    int current_time_nanoseconds(){
        struct timespec tm;
        clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &tm);
        return tm.tv_nsec;
    }

    // C++ 03
    // ========
    // Dont forget to declare these two. You want to make sure they
    // are unacceptable otherwise you may accidentally get copies of
    // your singleton appearing.
    Randomizer(Randomizer const&);     // Don't Implement
    void operator=(Randomizer const&); // Don't implement

public:
    static Randomizer& get_instance(){
        // The only instance of the class is created at the first call get_instance ()
        // and will be destroyed only when the program exits
        static Randomizer instance;
        return instance;
    }
    bool method() { return true; };

    int rand(unsigned int floor, unsigned int ceil){
        random::uniform_int_distribution<> rand_ = random::uniform_int_distribution<> (floor,ceil);
        return (rand_(rng_));
    }

    // Is not considering the millisecons
    time_duration rand_time_duration(){
        boost::posix_time::time_duration floor(0, 0, 0, 0);
        boost::posix_time::time_duration ceil(23, 59, 59, 0);
        unsigned int rand_seconds = rand(floor.total_seconds(), ceil.total_seconds());
        return seconds(rand_seconds);
    }


    date rand_date_from_epoch_to_now(){
        date now = second_clock::local_time().date();
        return rand_date_from_epoch_to_ceil(now);
    }

    date rand_date_from_epoch_to_ceil(date ceil_date){
        date epoch = ptime(date(1970,1,1)).date();
        return rand_date_in_interval(epoch, ceil_date);
    }

    date rand_date_in_interval(date floor_date, date ceil_date){
        return rand_ptime_in_interval(ptime(floor_date), ptime(ceil_date)).date();
    }

    ptime rand_ptime_from_epoch_to_now(){
        ptime now = second_clock::local_time();
        return rand_ptime_from_epoch_to_ceil(now);
    }

    ptime rand_ptime_from_epoch_to_ceil(ptime ceil_date){
        ptime epoch = ptime(date(1970,1,1));
        return rand_ptime_in_interval(epoch, ceil_date);
    }

    ptime rand_ptime_in_interval(ptime floor_date, ptime ceil_date){
        time_duration const diff = ceil_date - floor_date;
        long long gap_seconds = diff.total_seconds();
        long long step_seconds = Randomizer::get_instance().rand(0, gap_seconds);
        return floor_date + seconds(step_seconds);
    }
};