Re: [boost] [random] seeding with arbitrary integers

Subject: Re: [boost] [random] seeding with arbitrary integers
From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-10-21 01:26:30

Steven Watanabe wrote:
> AMDG

> explicit linear_congruential_engine(result_type s = default_seed);
> Effects: Constructs a linear_congruential_engine object. If c mod m
> is 0 and s mod m is 0, sets
> the engine’s state to 1, otherwise sets the engine’s state to s mod m.

So I might be passing two different seeds and generate the same
sequence of results? This would be the exact opposite of what I would
be trying to do and would likely result in a silent error that would
be a major bitch to find.

This isn't so much a specifice critcism of this particular
situation as I don't really understand the library or the
standard.  It's more of  rant against the things that seem
to trap me into spending disproportional amounts of time
on a regular basis.  This idea of "silently fixing things"
seems to be quite popular and to me, is the cause of much
grief.

Robert Ramey