Looking for some random-functions ... and maybe a bug report_(re)

Tue, 23 Sep 1997 22:52:30 +0200 (MEST)

According to Kevin A. Foss:
> 
> If all you need is system time, why do you go through all of the
> DPMI/int calls/&c, instead of just using extended Pascal's timestamp
> routines.

These only have a resolution of one second which probably is
not "random" enough for this purpose.  The 1/100s when a program
was started is almost a true random number; if we use the second
in the minute it might be too regular.

> Or are these not available because you are turning
> non-Borland features off when compiling these Borland-ish Units?

No.

> Using
> gettimestamp() should work on all gpc platforms, right?

Right.  If you find a platform where it doesn't, it's a bug.

Greetings,

    Peter

 Dipl.-Phys. Peter Gerwinski, Essen, Germany, free physicist and programmer
peter.gerwinski@uni-essen.de - http://home.pages.de/~peter.gerwinski/ [970201]
 maintainer GNU Pascal [970714] - http://home.pages.de/~gnu-pascal/ [970125]

Peter Gerwinski (peter@agnes.dida.physik.uni-essen.de)