I would like to generate a random number or string using the C Preprocessor ... um ... I don't even know if this is possible, but I am trying to create variables on the fly (strings would be helpful here) and assign them values (integers). So there are a few things I am trying to do but the basic question remains - can I create a random string or number using the preprocessor.
2 Answers
Based on 1999-01-15 Jeff Stout (thanks to @rlb.usa)
#define UL unsigned long
#define znew ((z=36969*(z&65535)+(z>>16))<<16)
#define wnew ((w=18000*(w&65535)+(w>>16))&65535)
#define MWC (znew+wnew)
#define SHR3 (jsr=(jsr=(jsr=jsr^(jsr<<17))^(jsr>>13))^(jsr<<5))
#define CONG (jcong=69069*jcong+1234567)
#define KISS ((MWC^CONG)+SHR3)
/* Global static variables:
(the seed changes on every minute) */
static UL z=362436069*(int)__TIMESTAMP__, w=521288629*(int)__TIMESTAMP__, \
jsr=123456789*(int)__TIMESTAMP__, jcong=380116160*(int)__TIMESTAMP__;
int main(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[]){
cout<<KISS<<endl;
cout<<KISS<<endl;
cout<<KISS<<endl;
}
Output:
247524236
3009541994
1129205949
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1Very good implementation for an embedded system. Both answers are good.– XofoCommented May 27, 2015 at 17:45
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What does it mean: "the seed changes on every minute"? What event changes it?– user10133158Commented Oct 18, 2018 at 15:14
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@user10133158
__TIMESTAMP__
is a compiler variable that has a 1-minute precision. So, every different minute you compile, the seed changes– nergeiaCommented Jan 29, 2019 at 9:05 -
2This is misleading because it does not use the preprocessor to compute a random number, as OP requested. Instead it inserts a block of C code that will be compiled into code that computes a number.– ScottJCommented Aug 7, 2021 at 20:10
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1@nergeia Nonsense. Run it with
gcc -E
(preproccesor only) to see the result: cout<<(((((z=36969*(z&65535)+(z>>16))<<16)+((w=18000*(w&65535)+(w>>16))&65535))^(jcong=69069*jcong+1234567))+(jsr=(jsr=(jsr=jsr^(jsr<<17))^(jsr>>13))^(jsr<<5)))<<endl;– ScottJCommented Aug 13, 2021 at 21:47
I take your question that you want to have a way of creating unique identifier tokens through the preprocessor.
gcc has an extension that is called __COUNTER__
and does what you expect from its name. You can combine this with macro concatenation ##
to obtain unique identifiers.
If you have a C99 compiler you can use P99. It has macros called P99_LINEID
and P99_FILEID
. They can be used as
#include "p99_id.h"
P99_LINEID(some, other, tokens, to, make, it, unique, on, the, line)
and similarily for P99_FILEID
.
The first mangles a name from your tokens and the line number and a hash that depends on the number of times the file "p99_id.h" had been included. The second macro just uses that hash and not the line number such that a name is reproducible at several places inside the same compilation unit.
These two macros also have counterparts P99_LINENO
and P99_FILENO
that just produce large numbers instead of identifier tokens.
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2Isn't that extension
__COUNTER__
? gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/cpp/Common-Predefined-Macros.html Commented Aug 6, 2015 at 4:28 -
1
1999-01-15 Jeff Stout
__LINE__
to create unique variable names ?