RE: Why random number?

["Weatherly, Howard" <Howard.Weatherly@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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Well, perhaps this is not the best example(s) but for one, if you do any
sort of encryption random numbers are a must!

Now back to the real world, if you use a timestamp for a key and find
yourself in a position where you must move DB2 data to an Oracle database
you might find a random number useful since Oracle seems to have their own
notion about what a timestamp is, so you would perhaps use the date
yyyy-mm-dd and the time hh-mm-ss and a 6 position random number nnnnnn all
concatenated together to make a "sort-of" timestamp
yyyy-mm-dd-hh-mm-ss.nnnnnn

On to statistics, while not my greatest strength, I seem to remember some
usefulness there!

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Crosby [mailto:jlcrosby@DILGARDFOODS.COM]
Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2002 8:08 AM
To: midrange-l@midrange.com
Subject: Why random number?


I have a question I have been wanting to ask for a long time.

Every so often, the 'random number' thing comes up.  I have been in
programming for 27 years in the distribution business and never had the
need for a random number.  I can't think of why I would ever want one.

At the risk of appearing incredibly stupid, why would a business
programmer need a random number?

--
Jeff Crosby
Dilgard Frozen Foods, Inc.
P.O. Box 13369
Ft. Wayne, IN 46868-3369
260-422-7531

The opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily
the opinion of my company.  Unless I say so.



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