From: "Ralf Müller" <r_mueller@...>
Date: 2004-12-15T16:38:39+09:00
Subject: Re: [ANN] rand.rb 0.9: Random access methods for Enumerables

Am Mittwoch, 15. Dezember 2004 01:24 schrieb Ilmari Heikkinen:
> Hello all, here's a little convenience library we whipped up a couple
> weeks back with Christian Neukirchen. It's very simple, but we hope
> someone might find it useful :)
> ---
>
> rand.rb is a library for picking random elements and shuffling.
> This work is licensed under the same terms as Ruby itself.
>
> Overview
> ========
> rand.rb adds new methods to Enumerable, Array, and Hash to:
>
>      * return a random element (pick, pick_index, pick_key, pick_value
> and their destructive versions suffixed with !).
>      * arrange elements in new, random order (shuffle,
> shuffle_hash_pairs, shuffle_hash).
>      * use above methods in convenient ways (each_random, map_random).
>
> It also provides these new facilities to String:
>
>      * shuffle_chars, to arrange the characters of the string in new
> order.
>      * pick_byte, pick_char and pick_index, to return random bytes,
> characters or elements.
>
> Examples:
>
> arr = (1..10).to_a
> arr.pick # => 3
> arr.pick # => 7
> arr.shuffle # => [3,5,2,10,8,7,6,1,9,4]
>
> str = "string strung strong rang"
> str.pick_char # => 'n'
> str.pick_byte # => 97
> str.shuffle_chars # => "srsntnignrgrgttsuan  r og"
>
> hash = {'a'=>2, 'b'=>3, 'c'=>4}
> hash.pick! #=> ['c', 4]
> hash #=> {'a'=>2, 'b'=>3}
> hash.pick_key #=> 'b'
> hash.pick_value #=> 2
>
> File.open("foo"){|f|
>    f.each_random{|line|  puts line } # about equal to
> readlines.shuffle.each{...}
> }
>
> History
> =======
>      * November 26, 2004: Initial version done as IRC collaboration
> project between kig and chris2.
>      * November 29, 2004: First public release 0.9.
>
> Getting it
> ==========
> rand.rb is packaged in RPA.
> rpa install rand
>
> You can download rand.rb at:
> http://kronavita.de/chris/data/rand-0.9.0.tar.gz
>
> Upstream source:
> You can get latest development releases using darcs by executing:
>
> darcs get http://kronavita.de/chris/data/rand
>
> darcs send is the preferred way to send patches, but mailing diffs is
> fine too.
>
> Authors
> =======
>      * Ilmari Heikkinen: Code and unit tests
>      * Christian Neukirchen: Documentation and housekeeping.
>
> Please mail bugs, feature requests or patches to the mail addresses
> above or use IRC to contact the developers.
>
> Copyright
> =========
> Copyright  2004 Ilmari Heikkinen < kig misfiring net >
> Parts Copyright  2004 Christian Neukirchen < chneukirchen gmail com >
>
> P.S. I guess it's bad mojo to start versions from 0.9, but it _is_ very
> simple

Hi Ilmari,
its a bit OT, but I'd like to know, how you test the methods above.
How could you know, there is as much randomness as you want?

regards
ralf