Re: [Boost-users] [random] spot the stupidity competition

From: Nigel Rantor (wiggly_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-10-21 09:28:22

Simon Buchan wrote:
> In random.h,
> 
> 	static rng_type rng;
> 
> (which says, 'make this variable invisible to other object files')
> should be
> 
> 	extern rng_type rng;
> 
> (which says, 'declare this, but don't define it')
> and random.cpp should have
>
> 	rng_type rng;
> 
> or else each translation unit (source file) will have it's own rng, 
> meaning when you seed rng in test.cpp, random.cpp's rng is not seeded, 
> meaning, of course, that rng() in test.cpp will give random numbers, but 
> rng() in random.cpp will (ironicly) not give random numbers.
> 
> And don't worry too much about this, linkage issues /are/ confusing.

Gah! Thank you. I have been tainted by too much Java.

Well, you win the competition then, I owe you a beer, or two.

On slight tangent, do you think that the way I've done this makes sense
or is there a better way of wrapping the random functionalit so I can
easily get numbers in whatever range I want?

   n