rand
Generate a random integer
Description
int rand
( void
)
int rand
( int $min
, int $max
)
If called without the optional min,
max arguments rand
returns a pseudo-random integer between 0 and
getrandmax. If you want a random number
between 5 and 15 (inclusive), for example, use rand(5,
15).
CautionThis function does not
generate cryptographically secure values, and should not be used for cryptographic purposes. If you need a
cryptographically secure value, consider using random_int, random_bytes, or
openssl_random_pseudo_bytes instead.
Note:
On some platforms (such as Windows), getrandmax
is only 32767. If you require a range larger than 32767, specifying
min and max will allow
you to create a range larger than this, or consider using
mt_rand instead.
Note: As of PHP 7.1.0, rand uses the same
random number generator as mt_rand. To preserve
backwards compatibility rand allows
max to be smaller than min
as opposed to returning FALSE as mt_rand.
Parameters
-
min
-
The lowest value to return (default: 0)
-
max
-
The highest value to return (default: getrandmax)
Return Values
A pseudo random value between min
(or 0) and max (or getrandmax, inclusive).
Examples
Example #1 rand example
<?php
echo rand() . "\n";
echo rand() . "\n";
echo rand(5, 15);
?>
The above example will output
something similar to:
Notes
Warning
min max range must
be within the range getrandmax. i.e. (max -
min) <= getrandmax
Otherwise, rand may return poor-quality random numbers.
See Also
- srand
- getrandmax
- mt_rand
- random_int
- random_bytes
- openssl_random_pseudo_bytes