Question

Possible Duplicate:
Random number generator only generating one random number

A beginner question. I have a very simple program that draws a line and I want to randomize the locations, but each time I create a new instance of Random it returns the same value. Where is the problem? Thank you.

private void Draw()
{
    Random random1 = new Random();
    int randomNumber1 = random1.Next(0, 300);
    Random random2 = new Random();
    int randomNumber2 = random2.Next(0, 300);
    Random random3 = new Random();
    int randomNumber3 = random3.Next(0, 300);
    Random random4 = new Random();
    int randomNumber4 = random4.Next(0, 300);
    System.Drawing.Graphics g = this.CreateGraphics();
    Pen green = new Pen(Color.Green, 5);
    g.DrawLine(green, new Point(randomNumber1, randomNumber2), 
                      new Point(randomNumber3, randomNumber4));
}

private void btndraw1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    Draw();
}

Answer 1

The reason this happens is that every time you do a new Random it is initialized using the clock. So in a tight loop (or many calls one after the other) you get the same value lots of times since all those random variables are initialized with the same seed.

To solve this: Create only one Random variable, preferably outside your function and use only that one instance.

Random random1 = new Random();
private void Draw()
{
    int randomNumber1 = random1.Next(0, 300);
    int randomNumber2 = random1.Next(0, 300);
    int randomNumber3 = random1.Next(0, 300);
    int randomNumber4 = random1.Next(0, 300);
    System.Drawing.Graphics g = this.CreateGraphics();
    Pen green = new Pen(Color.Green, 5);
    g.DrawLine(green, new Point(randomNumber1, randomNumber2), new Point(randomNumber3, randomNumber4));
}