A Java Programmer’s Guide to Random Numbers. Part 2: Not just coins and dice

This is the second in a series of articles about random numbers in Java programs. The series covers the following topics and also serves as an introduction to the random numbers package of the Uncommons Maths library:

True Random Numbers and Pseudorandom Numbers
Statistical Quality (making sure the dice are not loaded)
Performance (because sometimes you really do need half a million random numbers a second)
Different kinds of randomness (because not everything can be modelled by tossing a coin)
Degrees of Freedom (is every possible outcome actually possible?)
Security and Integrity (when not losing money depends on nobody knowing what happens next)

Part 1 of this series discussed different kinds of random number generators (RNGs), highlighted the issues with using the default Java RNGs (java.util.Random and java.security.SecureRandom) and introduced the Uncommons Maths library, which provides three fast, high-quality alternative Java RNGs.

July 24, 2022

Android ListView – Fixing Missing/Blank Dividers

Working With ListViews in Android Development

Putting up a list of elements that people can see and work with is a very common tactic when working on mobile applications.

It is something that developers are called upon to do all the time, and it is a good thing we have them working on these things because otherwise the apps that we all use on a regular basis simply wouldn't hold up to the workout that we put them through when using them. That is to say that they wouldn't look nearly as good as we are used to them looking at this point.

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