Randomness for Roc

A Roc library 🦅 for 🎲 random number generation

Contributions & feedback are very welcome!

Used By

• 🦅 https://github.com/roc-lang/examples/blob/main/examples/RandomNumbers/main.roc
• 👾 https://github.com/lukewilliamboswell/roc-ray
• 🧱 https://github.com/jared-cone/roctris
• 💞 Add your platform, library, or app here!

Examples

See the examples/*.roc files for various complete examples, but here is a minimal preview:

Print a list of 10 random numbers in the range 25-75 inclusive

# Create a generator for numbers between 25-75 (inclusive).
generate_a_number = Random.bounded_u32(25, 75)

# Create a generator for lists of 10 numbers.
generate_ten_numbers = generate_a_number |> Random.list(10)

# Initialise "randomness". (Bring Your Own source of noise.)
Random.seed 1234
|> Random.step(generate_ten_numbers)
|> .value
|> Inspect.toStr
|> Stdout.line!

Documentation

See the library documentation site for more info about its API.

Goals

• An external API that is similar to that of Elm's Random library
• An internal implementation that is similar to that of Rust's Rand library
• Compatible with every Roc platform (though some platforms may provide poor/constant seeding)
• Provides a variety of ergonomic abstractions

Seeding

In order to receive a different sequence of outputs from this library between executions of your application, your Roc platform of choice must provide a random/pseudorandom/varying seed.

Otherwise, your pure functions will be responsible for providing Random's pure functions with a constant seed that will merely choose which predictable sequence you'll receive.