drand48() always returns same value - function

drand48() always returns the same value after I close the app and open it again
When I call drand48() and print out the result it's always the same after closing and opening the app.
Does anybody know how to prevent that from happening and get a random number each time without a predictable pattern?
Thank you very much

This doesn't seem unexpected. Quoting from here (emphasis mine):
The srand48(), seed48() and lcong48() are initialisation entry points, one of which should be invoked before either drand48(), lrand48() or mrand48() is called. (Although it is not recommended practice, constant default initialiser values will be supplied automatically if drand48(), lrand48() or mrand48() is called without a prior call to an initialisation entry point.)
So if you don't seed the PRNG prior to using it, you'll get a constant seed, which means you'll get exactly the same sequence every time.
Note that you should usually seed exactly once, in your case probably at startup, and never in a loop where you also use the numbers.

drand48 creates a Pseudo-random number sequence. You need to set a different seed every run.
Something like this
let time = UInt32(NSDate().timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate) srand48(Int(time)) let number = drand48 ()

Related

Caffeine - How to set for each entity its own "expiration time"

We used to use the guava cache and we want to change it to caffeine.
We want to set for each entity its own "expiration time", something like - put(K key, V value, long expiration_time).
I saw the 3 functions above and I wonder what exactly they are doing, if you can explain me the meaning ant the operations of each one of them it will be great.
For example, the return value of expireAfterCreate should be the duration we want for this entity from it's creation untill it's expiration? or something else?
I'm also wondering why we have the parameter "currentTime" in both expireAfterRead and expireAfterUpdate if we don't use it in the function?
When we used the guava cache we used the expireAfterAccess, what is the substitution for it in caffeine?
My last question is how can I set a default value for entities without a unique expiration time.
Thank you,
May
When we used the guava cache we used the expireAfterAccess, what is the substitution for it in caffeine?
We mirror the Guava API, so this is also available on the cache builder.
My last question is how can I set a default value for entities without a unique expiration time.
Use expireAfterAccess, expireAfterWrite, or return a constant duration with expireAfter(Expiry).
I saw the 3 functions above and I wonder what exactly they are doing, if you can explain me the meaning ant the operations of each one of them it will be great.
Expiry is a callback interface where a single timestamp value is updated. The invoked method corresponds to the operation performed on the cache entry (created, updated, read). An update or read that should have no effect can return currentDuration to no-op.
For example, the return value of expireAfterCreate should be the duration we want for this entity from it's creation untill it's expiration? or something else?
Yes. However if the expireAfterUpdate returns a custom value (something other than currentDuration), then that overrides the prior expiration duration.
I'm also wondering why we have the parameter "currentTime" in both expireAfterRead and expireAfterUpdate if we don't use it in the function?
This can most often be ignored, but is provided if somehow useful. It is the current nano timestamp from the Ticker (not wall clock time).
We want to set for each entity its own "expiration time", something like - put(K key, V value, long expiration_time).
The callback Expiry is required and generally recommended, because ideally entries are loaded through the cache to avoid stampedes (e.g. LoadingCache). A stampede is when multiple threads lookup the same entry, miss, load it, and overwrite each other putting it in. That wasted work rather than having only one thread perform the load and others wait for the results.
That said, this method is available under Cache.policy().expiresVariably(). Those configuration-specific methods are stashed in that area to offer more power when deemed necessary.
Thank you,
You're very welcome.

What is really happening when using variables?

I have a really basic question about something that I've never paid much attention to until now:
I noticed that when creating a function (in JS or Python) that uses a variable from the outer scope, the function is not defined using the value of the variable but rather the variable itself. So if I change the value of the variable the function will use the new value.
This is what I mean
let a = 10;
function printA(){
console.log(a);
}
printA(); // => 10
a = 20;
printA(); // => 20
a = 10
def printA():
print(a)
printA() # => 10
a = 20
printA() # => 20
I thought this was only going to work of objects because of the way you can modify an object inside a function but not primitive variables because there's no way to change their value without reasigning them. I guess this is a different story.
What I'm trying to understand is: when typing a variable name is typing its memory address what I'm really doing? Does this happen with all languages?
when I create a function like printA() that uses a variable that is not an argument, is the variable bound forever to the function by its address?
The variable a is "captured" by the function. The specifics of how that happens are usually implementation details and may result in the compiler/interpreter producing code that doesn't much resemble the original.
For instance, in C# (I know, not one of the languages you mentioned, but it's the one I'm most familiar with), the compiler will create a separate hidden class which actually contains fields for the variables that are captured by a lambda or nested function. It then accesses these fields rather than plain variables.
by its address
Variables don't typically have an address. For instance, every time you call a method, it will typically have an "activation record" of some kind created, that will typically contain its variables. But note that these records are not at some fixed location, which is how you can have parallel execution of methods, recursion, etc, without interference. (Some older BASICs did have fixed activation records, which is why they didn't allow for recursion). These activation records may typically be placed on some kind of stack.
But as I say, for captured variables, the compiler will typically need to do even more so that those variables aren't just stored in an activation record, and so that their lifetime is no longer tied to a single call.

Shows warning during compiling

enter image description here
it show warning
I was suppose to arrange the numbers, In order irrespective of the values, but to move 0 come at last.
To learn what you are doing wrong you need to read a book in C. Basic one.
I can point some errors and good practices.
comparison is done by ==. so you should use if(i==0)
After the second for loop you would want to change the value of i to 0. i=0.
the two for loops should be run upto the point when i<n and j<n.
That if(a[i]==0) comparison is not needed.
You don't need the while loop here.
You can print all of them after the for-for looping.
Global variables are used but you should have a good reason to use that.
Index variables are better if declared and defined locally.
what you are trying to do is known as Bubble sort.
Even after understanding all this and following this you get error try to run it through debugger, try small value of n.
Then if you can't, then ask here.

How to use Eiffel functions?

So I'm just starting to learn Eiffel. One of the first exercises in the book I'm using says to make a function that does base^exp without using ^. I've copied my code below.
class
APPLICATION
inherit
ARGUMENTS
create
make
feature {NONE} -- Initialization
make
-- Run application.
do
create power(2;3)
printf("2 to the power of 3 is " + answer)
end
power(base : REAL; exp : INTEGER) : REAL
-- computers base raised to the bower of exp without using ^
local
remain : INTEGER
do
remain := exp
if remain = 0 then
result := 1
else
from
until
remain = 0
loop
result := result * result
remain := remain -1
end
end
end
end
How do I use this? Do I need it on the same level as feature{NONE}'s make? I know how I'm calling it is wrong, and I can't find anything in the chapter I just read, or online on how to pass parameters into it or how to use it's results.
There are several issues with the original code:
create is used to create an object, but you are not going to create anything, but to get a result of a computation of the function power by calling it. Therefore the keyword create is not needed.
You are using an entity answer to report the result of evaluation on a screen. However it is not declared anywhere. I believe the proper place would be a local variable declaration section.
The entity answer is not initialized to the result of the function power. This is usually done by an assignment instruction.
Feature arguments are separated by a comma, not by a semicolon.
From the original code it's unclear what is the type of the variable answer. Assuming it matches the type of the function power, before adding it to a string, it needs to be converted to a string. This is done by calling the feature out.
The standard feature for printing a string to a console is print, not printf.
Combining the critical points above, we get
make
-- Run application.
local
answer: REAL
do
answer := power(2, 3)
print ("2 to the power of 3 is " + answer.out)
end
After that the code can be compiled. Now less critical points:
It is a good style to put features to a dedicated feature clauses, so I would add a line like feature -- Basic operations before the feature power.
The implementation of the feature power has at least two problems. I'm not going to detail them here, but would give two hints instead:
by default numeric Result is initialized to 0, this needs to be taken into account for operations that use it without first assigning any other value
even though an argument base is passed to the function power it remains unused in the original version of the code

function return not assigned to a variable

What if you call a (non-void) function, but don't assign its return value to a variable?
e.g., getchar();
I've always wondered what happens to such a value. I've heard humorous explanations like "its gone to the ether" and so forth, but I'd really like to know really. Would there be any way to recover such a value?
Thanks
This is really compiler / CPU specific, but in most cases the return value will be in a CPU register (if it will fit), and if that register is not touched by the subsequent code, you could retrieve it using e.g. "inline assembler".
To answer your question better, nothing "happens" to the value. It sits in a stack-location or inside a register. If you use it, fine... if not, nothing happens really. Eventually the stack or register is overwritten by new values...
No, you won't.
The value gets popped off the stack and is gone.
If you need the return value, you should assign it to a variable.
Simply 'returning' (either by implicitly calling return by itself or not returning at all) and not assigning a value does just that, doesn't assign a value and thus is null.
If you want to learn more about how it all works, you can look at this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_stack