In Swift, I'm trying to get a random float between 0 and 1 but I can't seem to get the type conversions to work.
func randomCGFloat() -> CGFloat {
return CGFloat(arc4random()) / UINT32_MAX
}
I'm getting a 'CGFloat' is not convertible to 'UInt8' error
Running Xcode 6.
This is extension for random numbers of Int, Double, Float, CGFloat
Swift 3 & 4 & 5 syntax
import Foundation
import CoreGraphics
// MARK: Int Extension
public extension Int {
/// Returns a random Int point number between 0 and Int.max.
static var random: Int {
return Int.random(n: Int.max)
}
/// Random integer between 0 and n-1.
///
/// - Parameter n: Interval max
/// - Returns: Returns a random Int point number between 0 and n max
static func random(n: Int) -> Int {
return Int(arc4random_uniform(UInt32(n)))
}
/// Random integer between min and max
///
/// - Parameters:
/// - min: Interval minimun
/// - max: Interval max
/// - Returns: Returns a random Int point number between 0 and n max
static func random(min: Int, max: Int) -> Int {
return Int.random(n: max - min + 1) + min
}
}
// MARK: Double Extension
public extension Double {
/// Returns a random floating point number between 0.0 and 1.0, inclusive.
static var random: Double {
return Double(arc4random()) / 0xFFFFFFFF
}
/// Random double between 0 and n-1.
///
/// - Parameter n: Interval max
/// - Returns: Returns a random double point number between 0 and n max
static func random(min: Double, max: Double) -> Double {
return Double.random * (max - min) + min
}
}
// MARK: Float Extension
public extension Float {
/// Returns a random floating point number between 0.0 and 1.0, inclusive.
static var random: Float {
return Float(arc4random()) / 0xFFFFFFFF
}
/// Random float between 0 and n-1.
///
/// - Parameter n: Interval max
/// - Returns: Returns a random float point number between 0 and n max
static func random(min: Float, max: Float) -> Float {
return Float.random * (max - min) + min
}
}
// MARK: CGFloat Extension
public extension CGFloat {
/// Randomly returns either 1.0 or -1.0.
static var randomSign: CGFloat {
return (arc4random_uniform(2) == 0) ? 1.0 : -1.0
}
/// Returns a random floating point number between 0.0 and 1.0, inclusive.
static var random: CGFloat {
return CGFloat(Float.random)
}
/// Random CGFloat between 0 and n-1.
///
/// - Parameter n: Interval max
/// - Returns: Returns a random CGFloat point number between 0 and n max
static func random(min: CGFloat, max: CGFloat) -> CGFloat {
return CGFloat.random * (max - min) + min
}
}
Use :
let randomNumDouble = Double.random(min: 0.00, max: 23.50)
let randomNumInt = Int.random(min: 56, max: 992)
let randomNumFloat = Float.random(min: 6.98, max: 923.09)
let randomNumCGFloat = CGFloat.random(min: 6.98, max: 923.09)
Updating Sandy Chapman's answer for Swift 3:
extension ClosedRange where Bound : FloatingPoint {
public func random() -> Bound {
let range = self.upperBound - self.lowerBound
let randomValue = (Bound(arc4random_uniform(UINT32_MAX)) / Bound(UINT32_MAX)) * range + self.lowerBound
return randomValue
}
}
Now you can say stuff like (-1.0...1.0).random().
EDIT I think today (Swift 4) I'd write that something like this:
extension ClosedRange where Bound : FloatingPoint {
public func random() -> Bound {
let max = UInt32.max
return
Bound(arc4random_uniform(max)) /
Bound(max) *
(upperBound - lowerBound) +
lowerBound
}
}
NOTE Swift 4.2 introduces native random number generation and all of this becomes moot.
Here framework does a good job at generating random number data in Swift: https://github.com/thellimist/SwiftRandom/blob/master/SwiftRandom/Randoms.swift
public extension Int {
/// SwiftRandom extension
public static func random(lower: Int = 0, _ upper: Int = 100) -> Int {
return lower + Int(arc4random_uniform(UInt32(upper - lower + 1)))
}
}
public extension Double {
/// SwiftRandom extension
public static func random(lower: Double = 0, _ upper: Double = 100) -> Double {
return (Double(arc4random()) / 0xFFFFFFFF) * (upper - lower) + lower
}
}
public extension Float {
/// SwiftRandom extension
public static func random(lower: Float = 0, _ upper: Float = 100) -> Float {
return (Float(arc4random()) / 0xFFFFFFFF) * (upper - lower) + lower
}
}
public extension CGFloat {
/// SwiftRandom extension
public static func random(lower: CGFloat = 0, _ upper: CGFloat = 1) -> CGFloat {
return CGFloat(Float(arc4random()) / Float(UINT32_MAX)) * (upper - lower) + lower
}
}
Below is an extension on the IntervalType type for doing this:
extension IntervalType {
public func random() -> Bound {
let range = (self.end as! Double) - (self.start as! Double)
let randomValue = (Double(arc4random_uniform(UINT32_MAX)) / Double(UINT32_MAX)) * range + (self.start as! Double)
return randomValue as! Bound
}
}
With this extension, you can use the interval syntax for generating an interval and then getting a random value in that interval:
(0.0...1.0).random()
Addition
If you're looking to do the same for Ints, then you can use the following extension on the CollectionType protocol:
extension CollectionType {
public func random() -> Self._Element {
if let startIndex = self.startIndex as? Int {
let start = UInt32(startIndex)
let end = UInt32(self.endIndex as! Int)
return self[Int(arc4random_uniform(end - start) + start) as! Self.Index]
}
var generator = self.generate()
var count = arc4random_uniform(UInt32(self.count as! Int))
while count > 0 {
generator.next()
count = count - 1
}
return generator.next() as! Self._Element
}
}
Ints don't use the IntervalType. They use Range instead. The benefit of doing this on the CollectionType type is that it's automatically carried over to the Dictionary and Array types.
Examples:
(0...10).random() // Ex: 6
["A", "B", "C"].random() // Ex: "B"
["X":1, "Y":2, "Z":3].random() // Ex: (.0: "Y", .1: 2)
What jmduke suggested seems to work in Playground with a small change in the function:
func randomCGFloat() -> Float {
return Float(arc4random()) / Float(UInt32.max)
}
and the reason why from the swift doc and as noted by drewag: type conversion must be explicit, the example in the doc is:
let three = 3
let pointOneFourOneFiveNine = 0.14159
let pi = Double(three) + pointOneFourOneFiveNine
// pi equals 3.14159, and is inferred to be of type Double
Based on YannickSteph's answer
To make it work for any floating point type, like Double, Float, CGFloat, etc., you can make an extension for the BinaryFloatingPoint type:
extension BinaryFloatingPoint {
/// Returns a random floating point number between 0.0 and 1.0, inclusive.
public static var random: Self {
return Self(arc4random()) / 0xFFFFFFFF
}
/// Random double between 0 and n-1.
///
/// - Parameter n: Interval max
/// - Returns: Returns a random double point number between 0 and n max
public static func random(min: Self, max: Self) -> Self {
return Self.random * (max - min) + min
}
}
Xcode: 9.2, Swift 4
extension BinaryInteger {
static func rand(_ min: Self, _ max: Self) -> Self {
let _min = min
let difference = max+1 - _min
return Self(arc4random_uniform(UInt32(difference))) + _min
}
}
extension BinaryFloatingPoint {
private func toInt() -> Int {
// https://stackoverflow.com/q/49325962/4488252
if let value = self as? CGFloat {
return Int(value)
}
return Int(self)
}
static func rand(_ min: Self, _ max: Self, precision: Int) -> Self {
if precision == 0 {
let min = min.rounded(.down).toInt()
let max = max.rounded(.down).toInt()
return Self(Int.rand(min, max))
}
let delta = max - min
let maxFloatPart = Self(pow(10.0, Double(precision)))
let maxIntegerPart = (delta * maxFloatPart).rounded(.down).toInt()
let randomValue = Int.rand(0, maxIntegerPart)
let result = min + Self(randomValue)/maxFloatPart
return Self((result*maxFloatPart).toInt())/maxFloatPart
}
}
print("\(Int.rand(1, 20))")
print("\(Float.rand(5.231233, 44.5, precision: 3))")
print("\(Double.rand(5.231233, 44.5, precision: 4))")
print("\(CGFloat.rand(5.231233, 44.5, precision: 6))")
import Foundation
import CoreGraphics
func run() {
let min = 2.38945
let max = 2.39865
for _ in 0...100 {
let precision = Int.rand(0, 5)
print("Precision: \(precision)")
floatSample(min: Float(min), max: Float(max), precision: precision)
floatSample(min: Double(min), max: Double(max), precision: precision)
floatSample(min: CGFloat(min), max: CGFloat(max), precision: precision)
intSample(min: Int(1), max: Int(10000))
print("")
}
}
private func printResult<T: Comparable>(min: T, max: T, random: T) {
let result = "\(T.self) rand[\(min), \(max)] = \(random)"
print(result)
}
func floatSample<T: BinaryFloatingPoint>(min: T, max: T, precision: Int) {
printResult(min: min, max: max, random: T.rand(min, max, precision: precision))
}
func intSample<T: BinaryInteger>(min: T, max: T) {
printResult(min: min, max: max, random: T.rand(min, max))
}
