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Re: [xsl] exslt random:random-sequence() and Math:random()


Subject: Re: [xsl] exslt random:random-sequence() and Math:random()
From: Dimitre Novatchev <dnovatchev@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:20:08 -0700

> So can I somehow use generate-id() to get all numeric unique random
> ids for a node? Is that even possible?

"random" and "id" are mutually exclusive: an id cannot be "random" as
it must identify a *certain* node.

Also, if ids are random, it is possible that two ids for two different
nodes may have the same value -- something not allowed by definition
for an id.


--
Cheers,
Dimitre Novatchev
---------------------------------------
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence.
---------------------------------------
To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk
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Never fight an inanimate object
-------------------------------------
You've achieved success in your field when you don't know whether what
you're doing is work or play
-------------------------------------
I enjoy the massacre of ads. This sentence will slaughter ads without
a messy bloodbath.



On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 12:45 PM, a kusa <akusa8@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Thanks again Michael. My requirement is that I want to generate unique
> random numbers only for a node. I know generate-id() generate unique
> ids for a node. But its not all numeric. It is alpha numeric. I have
> been reading some old issues in the list and one Abel had written
> something about being able to use generate-id() although I think the
> issue was generating sequential numbers in XSLT.
>
> (Ref: B 
http://markmail.org/message/4zxb654yeaf5twnv#query:+page:1+mid:uryukocvwy6oqn
uc+state:results)
>
> So can I somehow use generate-id() to get all numeric unique random
> ids for a node? Is that even possible?
>
> On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 9:20 AM, Michael Kay <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>> So my next idea was to use the generate-id() function which
>>> generates unique ids, and hack it to get a random number. Any
>>> thoughts on this approach?
>>
>> It won't give you anything that could reasonably be described as a random
number, but since you haven't told us your requirements, we can't tell you
whether it's an adequate solution.
>>
>> If a bad randomizing algorithm is good enough for Microsoft when facing a
b,100m penalty (see [1]), then it might be good enough for you too.
>>
>> [1]
http://news.techworld.com/applications/3213973/microsoft-browser-ballot-not-r
andom/?olo=rss
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Michael Kay
>> http://www.saxonica.com/
>> http://twitter.com/michaelhkay


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