Re: dbms_random in trigger

Glen A Stromquist wrote:
> Frank wrote:
>

>> Glen A Stromquist wrote:
>>
>>> I have created a table with a field called "random' that will hold a 
>>> random number that will be generated before insert via a simple 
>>> trigger which consists of:
>>> ========================
>>> declare
>>> x number;
>>> begin
>>> x :=dbms_random.random;
>>> :new.random := x;
>>> end;
>>> =======================
>>>
>>> This works ok, but I'd like to limit the random numbers to the same 
>>> range as rows in the table, and I'm not sure how to use the 
>>> dbms_rand.initialize to accomplish this.
>>
>>
>>
>> dbms_rand.initialize is a "random" seed start.
>> Try a dbms_rand.initialize(0), and generate random numbers.
>> Then, wait a while, and redo. See any differences?
>>
>> Use dbms_random.initialize(to_number(to_char(sysdate, 'miss')));
>>
>> So there's nothing with initialize that allows for a range.
>> Check dbms_rand.value instead - it has a lower and upper limit:
>> dbms_rand.value(lower, upper)
>>
>> declare
>>  x number;
>> begin
>>  dbms_random.initialize(to_number(to_char(sysdate, 'miss')));
>>  x :=dbms_random.value(1,3000);  -- range defined from 1 to 3000
>>  :new.random := x;
>> end;

Sorry - missed that portion.
Dynamically changing the range could be done, but how do you know to what? Counting would be distasterous for performance, and keeping it in a table doesn't scale

-- 
Regards, Frank van Bortel