Open Forum

  • 1.  Software for random number generation

    Posted 07-13-2017 01:59 PM

    Has anyone used a software that can generate random 12 character alpha/numeric strings as needed based

    on a rule that prohibits duplicates? Thanks for your time!

     

    Bill Fechner, CEO

    The Advertisers Printing Company

    1229 South Vandeventer Avenue
    Saint Louis, Missouri 63110

    email: wf@...

    direct line: 314-652-9924

     

     



  • 2.  RE: Software for random number generation

    Posted 07-14-2017 01:38 AM


    "Has anyone used a software that can generate random 12 character alpha/numeric strings as needed based

    on a rule that prohibits duplicates? Thanks for your time!"


    I don't think there's a 100% guarantee without actually storing your previous strings....

    But UUID's (or a portion thereof) will likely fit the bill. The chance of a collision is very very low (something along the lines of creating 1 billion UUIDs per second for about 85 years)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universally_unique_identifier

    They're available in almost all programming languages and also from the command line on most OSs, so an actual software app is not likely required.

    On the Mac command line (in terminal) type uuidgen and hit return


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    Steve Upton
    President
    Chromix
    Seattle WA
    206-985-6837 #9
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  • 3.  RE: Software for random number generation

    Posted 07-14-2017 08:08 AM
    Bill,

    Our company has internal programs that we've written to do such as this.  We've had clients who've had mailing projects in the past that required us to supply them with unique alpha/numeric strings that are random with no duplication.  Please feel free to contact me via phone if you would like to discuss further.

    Thanks,

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    Brian Wischnefski
    VP Operations
    Quality Mailing List Services, Inc.
    Plainfield IL
    (815) 439-8200
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  • 4.  RE: Software for random number generation

    Posted 07-14-2017 08:18 AM
    ​As Steve has indicated the UUID can give you this. Here is a link to one website that can generate either the Version 1 or Version 4 codes.  Like any random sequence, the level of randomness and security depend on the key that was used to create the series.  So the achieve true random "selection without replacement" requires an infinitely large volume of codes.

    https://www.uuidgenerator.net/

    The UUID comes close to this for strings of numbers.  If you need alphabetic characters you could simply try using hexadecimal numbers or invent a high base.

    Finally, you do not say how random the sequence needs to be.  Often, non-duplicated sequences have no need to be truly random, so selection 1 is AAAAA then selection 2 is AAAAB, followed by AAAAC, etc. Keeping track of which codes have been created is easier and if the string of digits is long enough one may never know if the value is the last in the series.  So a counterfeiter attempting AAABA would generate an out-of-sequence value which would be invalid.

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    Danny Rich
    Senior Color Physicist
    Sun Chemical Corporation

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  • 5.  RE: Software for random number generation

    Posted 07-14-2017 11:31 AM
    Bill,

    It would be pretty easy to write an Excel spreadsheet that fits that description.
    Do you need something other than an Excel sheet?

    Don

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    Don Hutcheson
    HutchColor, LLC
    Washington NJ
    908-500-0341
    don@...
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  • 6.  RE: Software for random number generation

    Posted 07-16-2017 03:13 PM
    Fantastic replies! This is needed for a variable data print project where the random strings would be pulled from an Excel spreadsheet. Your replies led me to an Excel add-on product - Kutools that allows me to generate 12 digit random hexadecimal strings from within Excel. Thank you for your help!

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    Bill Fechner
    C.E.O.
    The Advertisers Printing Co., Inc.
    St. Louis MO
    314-652-9924
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