Question

I am trying to generate a random number between 0 and the size of my array:

    float randomNum = (rand() / RAND_MAX) * [items count];
    NSLog(@"%f",randomNum);
    NSLog(@"%d",[items count]);

randomNum is always 0.0000000

Answer 1

Try this instead:

int randomNum = arc4random() % ([items count] +1);

note that randomNum won’t do as an array reference. To do that, you want:

int randomRef = arc4random() % [items count];
id myRandomObject = [myArray objectAtIndex:randomRef];

arc4random() returns an u_int32_t (int) which makes it easily transferrable to stuff like dice, arrays, and other real-world problems unlike rand()